I have a very good friend that is a recovering alcoholic and after ten years he has not touched a drop of any alcoholic beverage. But, I knew him when. When he drank, and drank and drank.
The first thing one needs to realize is that they are not just like everyone else and every alcoholic is not just alike. My friend was what they call a binge drinker. That is he would go a week or two without taking even one drink, but then he would buy three bottles of something that was 100 proof or better and stay at home and drink until he passed out.
Coming from a family that loved their drink, and a father that made a living for the family back in the old days by making what we call white lightening, he had seen a lot of alcohol during his early life. His father had even been an addict until realizing what he was doing to his health and his family and thankfully had enough will power to stop.
As science progresses in their knowledge and understanding on how the brain works and how genetics can play a large roll in behaviors, it is my personal opinion that they will find that there is in fact a genetic link to some, not all, people that have addictive personalities such as the alcoholic. It is these people that find it the most difficult to stop drinking.
First important bit of advice.
Do not badger or continually say something about another persons drinking. This will often times make them have a rebellious nature and drink even more.
Secondly
Realize that the person has to realize they have a problem themselves in order for them to successfully stop drinking.
In this area, judges and law enforcement officers used to sentence offenders to meetings, making them take part in Alcoholics meetings. Often times the other members of the group would shake their heads whenever they would hear of this because in order for the program to work, the person going has to realize they have a very real problem and needs to want to stop. Not want to want to, but really want to deep down.
Do not be an enabler
Sometimes people help the other person continue to abuse drink by enabling them to do so. This can come in many forms, just a few are things such as providing the person a place to live no matter what their behavior, paying for their drinks or covering for them at work.
If you really want the person to stop drinking, sometimes it takes you showing some back bone and informing them that you will no longer continue to provide these services for them. Unfortunately, some drinkers have to hit rock bottom before realizing they need to change their life style in order to really live life.
Do not be too proud
Pride can be a good thing, or a bad thing. If you have too much pride, and feel that it makes you look like less of a person because you or someone you know has a problem with addiction, then you may wish to think it over hard and swallow some of that pride. Seeking help is sometimes the only way to get your life back under control, and to do that, you have to first admit the problem.