Opinion: New federal dietary guidelines mark troubling retreat on alcohol

The Trump administration’s recently updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans mark a troubling retreat from the best available science about alcohol consumption.

At a time when alcohol-related fatalities have increased 30% over the last decade — now claiming approximately 178,000 American lives annually — the federal government has missed a critical opportunity to safeguard the nation’s health.

Alcohol hasn’t changed, but our understanding of its risks has evolved considerably. Decades...