For Florence Douglas it was a welcome part of her evening routine – a glass of wine to soothe the stresses of the day.

But over time, without noticing, the glass turned into a bottle.

Though she never considered herself an alcoholic, her weekly alcohol consumption gradually increased: four bottles of wine, supplemented with some large gin and tonics, together with weekend outings with her friends.

Imperceptibly, the 58-year-old had become a ‘grey area drinker’.

A newly coined term characterizes individuals who don’t align with the traditional image of an alcoholic but consistently drink more than the recommended amounts, leading to emerging issues.

Now experts have highlighted how easy it is to drift into the grey area, and warned it’s more harmful than many people realise.

Official recommendations advise against exceeding 14 units of alcohol per week—which is roughly equivalent to six pints of regular-strength beer or six medium glasses of standard-strength wine—yet research indicates that 24 percent of adults regularly breach this limit.

Last week, resident GP Dr. Ellie Cannon from The Mail on Sunday expressed concerns about the possibility of millions being ‘grey area drinkers’ with potentially harmful drinking patterns.

The initial indication of slipping into the grey area is when drinking turns habitual and may result in sleep problems, weight gain, loss of concentration, and heightened anxiety.

Among numerous readers who reached out was Mrs. Douglas, who shared her encouraging story of realizing the perils of heavy drinking after many years and successfully quitting. She mentioned, “It sneaked up on me. The only times I had been alcohol-free were during pregnancy or breastfeeding.”

After reading about the effects of alcohol on different parts of the body, she decided to change her habits. ‘I was drinking more and more and not suffering from a hangover – which was worrying,’ she said.

‘I used “emotional stress” as an excuse for wine in the evenings, but I realised alcohol wasn’t the answer.’ The self-employed businesswoman from the Cotswolds, decided to try Dry January – the popular challenge where people stop drinking for a month after the excesses of the festive period.

Mrs Douglas said: ‘The first two weeks were the hardest, waking up feeling as if I had a hangover as my body got used to coping without alcohol. But after six weeks, it got a lot easier.’ It has now been eight months since her last drink.

She said: ‘The woolly head and brain fog have disappeared. Stomach problems have cleared up, my blood pressure’s dropped and my skin is clearer and less puffy. I feel better than I have for years.’

According to Dr Jeevan Fernando, an expert on substance use disorders with the charity Alcohol Change UK, grey area drinking is alarmingly common. 

He said: ‘People exceed the recommended levels without realising it. Even one drink a day can take you over the threshold. As a result, grey area drinking has become perceived as normal.’

Last week, The Mail on Sunday’s resident GP Dr Ellie Cannon (pictured) raised concerns there could be millions of grey area drinkers with a ‘harmful booze habit’

He added: ‘The societal standard of unhealthy drinking is usually based on acute scenarios – throwing up, getting aggressive, passing out or ending up in A&E, but these should be seen as extremes. It’s not right to think you’re a healthy drinker just because you’re not doing those things.’

The main sign of entering the grey area, he explained, is when drinking becomes routine. ‘If your first response to feeling stressed is to pour a glass of wine, if you’re drinking most days, or can’t remember the number of drinks you’ve had in a week, these are clear indicators.’

Day-to-day problems caused by grey area drinking, Dr Fernando explained, include sleep disturbances, weight gain, decreased focus and increased anxiety. 

‘People don’t realise these things are caused by alcohol. The paradox is that people often drink to relieve stress and get a better sleep.’ 

In the long term, he warned, grey area drinking also increases risk of strokes, heart attacks and high blood pressure, as well as cancers including mouth, throat, breast, bowel and liver.

Grey area drinking can also cause mental health problems and neurological damage. A study this year for Alcohol Change UK found that among men who drank 15 to 49 units a week and women who drank 15 to 34 units, one in four reported depression, and one in three reported anxiety – significantly higher than among non-drinkers.

And research in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine revealed an increasing trend of higher dementia risk with greater alcohol intake, concluding that ‘any level of alcohol consumption increases the risk of dementia’.

There are many ways to lower risks, however, starting with even a slight reduction in drinking. Consultant psychologist Dr Zandra Bamford, an addiction specialist, said: ‘You can start to reduce the risk of harmful brain changes just by trimming one drink a week.’

She recommended switching to lower strength drinks, alternating them with non-alcoholic drinks, delaying the evening’s first drink and not stockpiling alcohol at home. She also suggested having at least three booze-free days a week.

Another key to tackling grey area drinking, Dr Fernando said, is for people to understand why they drink – and to find substitutes.

He recommended they keep a diary of how much they drink, when, and for what reason. ‘Becoming more aware of your alcohol use allows you to see patterns. If you drink because you’re stressed, perhaps go for a walk instead or call a friend. If its about being tired, try going to bed earlier.

‘A lot of alcohol consumption is unconscious. It’s habitual behaviour, but habits can be changed.’