Alcohol Justice (FKA Marin Institute)

As we anxiously anticipate attenuated--if not actively dangerous--alcohol consumption guidelines coming from the USDA in the coming weeks, JHSPH dissects the bad data and corrupt interpretations behind "healthy drinking".

During National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Alcohol Justice Calls for Recognition of the Breast Cancer-Alcohol Link /PRNewswire/ -- October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and this year Alcohol Justice recognizes the researchers and advocates fighting for national...

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and we would like to recognize not just the link between alcohol consumption and breast cancer, but the many tireless and passionate people working at that nexus to save lives.

www.prnewswire.com/news-release...

Sending love, support, and solidarity to all our neighbors in the Canal.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, but how many are aware of the link between breast cancer and alcohol?

Dr. Priscilla Martinez of @argdotorg.bsky.social gives the hows and whys of alcohol and breast cancer: what happens in the body AND the boardroom.

www.alcoholpolicy.org/latest/the-s...

NHANES is just latest national data source dismantled by the administration. The decisions are sometimes justified by accusations of redundancy.

Yet, as we explained last year, a telescope is not redundant with binoculars.

alcoholjustice.org/enews/trends...

Imagine staking your professional reputation as a health expert on smearing vaccines and acetaminophen, then shrugging your shoulders at alcohol and tobacco.

RFK Jr. 'rejects' a U.N. declaration on non-communicable diseases Global health leaders expressed dismay at Kennedy's objection but vowed to move forward without the support of the U.S.

The UN Political Declaration on NCDs shows every sign of industry leaning heavily on complicit delegations, culminating in this: the man who would "Make America Healthy Again" turning a blind eye to the leading preventable causes of death in the U.S.

www.npr.org/sections/goa...

HHS Must Release the Suppressed Alcohol Harm Report Join public health and safety advocates as we TAKE ACTION to call on Congress to push for the publication of the suppressed Alcohol Intake and Health report. It’s well past time to RELEASE THE REPORT ...

The USDA Dietary Guidelines are due to be released in a couple weeks, but we know Sec. Kennedy will be burying key evidence of alcohol's harms. Take a moment to contact your member of Congress and ask them to release the report.

www.votervoice.net/AlcoholJusti...

A screen shot from the Drinks Insider newlsetter: "'I think there’s been too much concern on a per person basis,' says Mitch, noting that per-person consumption hasn’t materially declined. What has fallen is the number of drinkers. The Baby Boomers are tapering off their drinking — but there are not enough Gen Xers to replace them."

Big Alcohol acknowledges that greater alcohol-related mortality goes hand in hand with fewer people drinking.

So consumption is becoming more lethal on a case-per-case basis. How much is due to getting that extra drink into a diminishing consumer base?

www.drinksinsider.com/p/gallup-fin...

Alcohol's Impacts on Health - Alcohol Justice For years, the media environment has been saturated with these terms meant to imply alcohol consumption conveys health benefits. But do they stand up to

How many reports about alcohol did the U.S. government release in the past year?

How many reports about alcohol did the U.S. government suppress in the past year?

What do they say? Why does it matter?

("2," "1," and "Read on to find out," respectively.)

alcoholjustice.org/faq-alcohols...

Hard to say that there's any one instance of industry overreach that lead to the generational changed drinking habits.

But we'd bet dollars to donuts that the Vox and NYT articles are going to make 50 times the impact that just letting the Alcohol Intake & Health study drop normally would have.

The industry's hypocrisy is relatively straightforward and in line with business self-interest.

What's funny is, this isn't the first time we've seen industry overreaction lead to better media coverage of health concerns--and greater public awareness of the risk.

www.jsad.com/doi/pdf/10.1...

Stephanie Mencimer was early off the block making the alcohol-cancer link known--tremendous, balanced, and well-researched article from a, ahem, CAPA-award winning journalist.

Drafts of the Alcohol Intake & Health study that Kennedy tried to bury are still available on the HHS website, but we archived a copy just in case.

alcoholjustice.org/wp-content/u...

"Stigmatizing language portrays people who use drugs as immoral or criminal, pushing them away from care. Evidence shows that those who benefit from harm reduction and anti-stigma efforts are five times more likely to enter treatment than those not using the programs. These life-altering measures were made possible by federal investments in addiction science. The National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, has led much of the research on risk factors for addiction and how best to prevent it and, in those addicted, how to treat it. And the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have translated this science into public health practice — bringing treatment and prevention programs into schools, clinics and communities."

Powerful words from Dr. Diana Fishbein on how much we stand to lose from recklessly gutting federal SUD funding.

www.chicagotribune.com/2025/07/29/o...

Alcohol Found in Energy Drink Cans Prompts Urgent Multi-State Recall That can of Celsius in your fridge might be more than just an energy boost. High Noon says a labeling mix-up led to vodka seltzers being disguised as energy drinks — and the brand is now recalling the...

With the explosion of ready-to-drink cocktails, and beverage companies chasing the easy money in youth friendly mass-market products, this kind of mistake was a matter of when, not if.

www.foodandwine.com/high-noon-ce...

Seems like industry lobbyists have pushed the UN to cut back its Political Declaration on NCDs , removing references to commercial determinants of health and watering down calls for aggressive tax policy.

Allies, esp. outside the US--see NCD Alliance's call to action.

mailchi.mp/ncdalliance/...

The link in which we brag is... a factsheet.

A paragraph from a Reason.com article, reading: "Residents of control states consume 14% less spirits and 7% less total alcohol than residents of license states," brags Alcohol Justice, which advocates against the alcohol industry.

File under "It's Always Nice to Be Noticed".

reason.com/2025/06/27/a...

How the Risks of Drinking Increase in Older Age

Boomers spent their adulthoods inundated with the messages that alcohol was health-conducive.

Now they're the heaviest-drinking generation, at a time when the impacts are becoming more and more stark.

www.nytimes.com/2025/07/03/w...

A paragraph from the Reuter's story, reading: "It’s deeply concerning that the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to disregard over a decade of clear evidence showing that taxing sugar-sweetened beverages has never improved health outcomes or reduced obesity in any country,” said Kate Loatman, executive director of the International Council of Beverages Associations, adding that the industry was working on options to support health.

Not only is this a classic doubt-merchant summary of the evidence (taxes can clearly result in declines in consumption), it ignores the fact that these taxes can fund effective healthcare and prevention services--services that Big SSB and Big Alcohol would never fund on their own.

WHO pushes countries to raise prices on sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50% The World Health Organization is pushing countries to raise the prices of sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50% over the next 10 years through taxation, its strongest backing yet for taxes to help tackle chronic public health problems.

In the U.S., alcohol retail prices were the least affected by inflation of any beverage category, while alcohol taxes have lost over half of their value to inflation.

Any claim the industry might make to being burdened by tax hikes is an overt lie.

www.reuters.com/business/hea...

Exclusive: US to drop guidance to limit alcohol to one or two drinks per day, sources say U.S. Dietary Guidelines are expected to eliminate the long-standing recommendation that adults limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day, according to three sources familiar with the matter, in what could be a major win for an industry threatened by heightened scrutiny of alcohol's health effects.

"Drink in moderation" means nothing.

It's MEANT to mean nothing.

The current guidelines--1/day for women, 2 for men--already could lead to serious health problems. Recommending "moderation" means that HHS simply doesn't care what you die from.

🛟 #usda #alcohol

www.reuters.com/business/hea...

As the California legislative flips and bills move to the opposite houses, we're finally rolling out our CA alcohol legislation roundup.

We'll update more as these bills move along, guts are gutted and amends amended, and Sacramento chaos keeps churning along.

alcoholjustice.org/legislative-...

AJ stands with the US Alcohol Policy Alliance in saying: SAVE THE STOP ACT.

STOP Act funding has done wonders to reduce underage consumption . A small investment with generational impact.

If you have a moment, click below to send a message to Congress.

alcoholjustice.org/tell-congres...

Marin Voice: Cuts to National Institutes of Health are a blow to our county’s younger generations Picture an ancient vase, shattered on a museum floor and then swept into the dustbin. Now picture a research team, taking their results offline and darkening the lights at an institute that they ha…

The STOP Act may be on the chopping block. This small but mighty program helps keep our kids safe from alcohol-related harms.

Losing it is just one of the ways that the devastation at HHS hurts youth and young adults in Marin, California, and the USA.

www.marinij.com/2025/04/26/m...

Addiction Science Defense Network | npsc The ASDN is an information exchange and action network for individuals and organizations devoted to studying, treating and preventing problems caused by psychoactive substance use, including alcohol, ...

🚨 I have been working with several addiction scientists and clinicians through the Addiction Science Defense Network (www.npscoalition.org/projects/add...) to craft a statement of concern about recent executive orders and actions that can be shared with members of congress.

How Americans view alcohol’s benefits and risks A majority of Americans ages 21 and older (57%) say their own alcohol use does not increase their risk of serious physical health problems.

(2/2) A recent Pew survey examines perceptions among Americans who drink of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption, and how recent news of the association between alcohol and cancer will or will not change volume and frequency of alcohol consumption. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/...