Will MAHA add alcohol to its list of health foes? At HHS, RFK Jr. could try to sidestep politics and start a new alcohol temperance movement

https://www.statnews.com/2025/01/14/alcohol-health-risks-rfk-jr-maha/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9ZvbtXYDxPFtRXhEbUFvEaZHPnlB-tBa9jD_1RkG2_BDazHeJlmPf2MGfTgmMy6z_oib8j8QNyfsafC-4sWFT4SHS0Bg&_hsmi=342354081&utm_content=342354081&utm_source=hs_email Will the MAHA movement embrace sobriety? If Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is confirmed as health secretary, he’ll be handed control over a broad range of issues. He and his allies in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement already have some targets in mind, including products, policies, foods, and drinks that they believe are worsening the nation’s health. But alcohol — which carries similar health risks to those of ultra-processed foods — is not yet on the list. Kennedy is in long-term recovery from drugs and alcohol, and has said he attends nine AA meetings per week. He hasn’t spoken recently about alcohol as a driver of chronic disease and death, but others in his sphere have. Marty Makary, Trump’s pick to lead the FDA, has referred to alcohol as a “blind spot” in the larger conversation about public health. Read more from STAT’s Isabella Cueto on how likely we are to see a new temperance movement in the U.S.