As with many of the people here, I've been where you are now and I can tell you of the regrets that I have so that maybe you can change something in your life before you look back with regrets in your life.
My H and I met before he drank also and then it started. We've been together for 15 years (married for 8 out of the 15) and have children. I saw that he had a drinking problem almost from the start but I just though it was something that young people do but if we got married and had kids that he would grow up and stop his partying. I kept hoping for him to "get tired" of drinking but he never did-he just did it more and although I let him know it was making us unhappy for him to drink he wasn't ready to stop. I still held out hope that he would just stop on his own someday. The last 12 years or so just got progressively worse year after year. When our oldest was born I remember him getting someone to sneak him a sports bottle with booze in it while I was in the delivery room! Having children didn't have an impact on him as far as cleaning up his act. He was a good father when he was sober and he was never physically violent to us and he did provide a paycheck but we didn't really have HIM. Whatever time off he had was used to drink. Vacations were usually ruined because he was too drunk by 8:00 AM do ANYTHING. I held on year after year just hoping and waiting and trying to keep our little family together and happy. I learned to not lock ourselves into situations (cookouts, parties, outings etc.) since I never knew what shape he would be in and thus isolated myself from my family and friends. His family could see his problem but they all just carried on like I did and hoped things would someday get better.
Well recently I found myself in a position where I could no longer cover up for my H nor expose our children to his behavior. He has been given many chances with the support he says he needed and each time he went back to the bottle.
I am no longer living with my H (althoug I too never thought I could really leave -but I did) and have the responsibility of caring for our small children by myself. He has lost his job and is still going nowhere but down. Most of what he says are lies-big and small. I don't think I could ever trust him so I can't see us having a relationship any longer. Our children do not understand why they don't live with their father and it is impossible to look into their little eyes and tell them something that would make sense to them.
Let your husband know that this is not the life you choose to live and if he wants to spend it with you then he has to make some changes in his life. You can't force him to stop drinking but you can stand your ground and do what's best for you. Let him be aware of what you are thinking (as long as this would not compromise your safety) but be ready to stand firm on what you say. Sometimes when they see what they stand to lose it may give them the courage to seek help but sometimes they don't see it until it's too late.
I can't tell you (nor can anyone) what the right thing to do is for you but I've found that if I had listened to my gut more when I was younger my life could have been happier. I hope he decides to seek help.
Good Luck
Crayolamom