ARE YOU A 'GREY AREA' DRINKER?

If you've been starting to question your alcohol intake, it may be time to cut down

- 

Whether you're heading to a festival or popping round to a friend’s house for a barbecue, over the summer there’s often an increase in social interactions where alcohol usually plays a role.

Although there’s evidence to suggest people in the UK are drinking less often — with 39% of Brits drinking less on a weekly basis — alcohol is still a big part of “British culture” and, in 2022, 56% of adults in England reported drinking alcohol in the previous week.

In conversations regarding our drinking habits, the term “grey area drinking” has emerged. Falling somewhere between someone who rarely drinks and a person who constantly thinks about alcohol, grey area drinking refers to those who aren't dependent on alcohol, but are far from being an occasional drinker.

"Grey area describes a person who has moved past the ‘take it or leave it’ drinker but has not reached the point of ‘rock bottom’ or physical dependence on alcohol," explains author and grey area drinking coach Sarah Rusbatch (sarahrusbatch.com).