If you want to know how to help alcoholics then here are some suggestions for you.  This is no-nonsense advice that I have come to learn over the last 8 years of helping other alcoholics, both in my personal recovery, as well as in a professional capacity.

1) Give them room to fall down - I know that sounds a bit counter-intuitive, but it is the truth.  You have to let alcoholics experience their consequences some times.  The opposite of doing so is what we would call "rescuing."  You don't want to rescue the alcoholic, because it will simply cause them to drink more. 

Instead, start putting your foot down and let them experience everything that they invite into their life.  Not too surprisingly, this is usually pain.  The alcoholic is fueled by pain and resentment and they have a tendency to create their own misery.  If you let them experience this then this will move them one step closer to making a real change in their life. 

Think about it: would you surrender your will completely, admit total and utter defeat, and then march your defeated self off to a treatment center when things were actually going good in your life?  Of course not!   No one wants to face the humiliating, crushing level of change that is necessary to quit drinking if they can avoid it.  So in order to motivate alcoholics to change you have to let them skin their knees a bit.  We are all motivated by pain, so don't ever try to take that pain away from an alcoholic.  Stop rescuing them and they might be driven to change.

2) Encourage treatment - some alcoholics do not genuinely know what the solution is.  They really might not know of a better way to live.  They are trapped in a cycle of addiction and they don't see a way out.  As such, you should let them know that a solution is available.  They might not believe it.  Tell them anyway.  When the right time comes and they are ready to surrender, you want them to know that there is a treatment center that can take them in and provide them with the help they need. 

3) Set a limit - you can set healthy limits without threatening or making ultimatums.  But basically what you want to do is to communicate with the alcoholics in your life what is not acceptable behavior to you.  If you can communicate this clearly and manage to put your foot down, it might help to wake the alcoholic up and move them closer to change.