I think there's a really fine line between normal drinker/problem drinker/alcoholic. Bear in mind though that these people were on holiday and this wasn't necessarily their normal drinking habits. When I went out with friends I rarely drank more than anyone else but then they probably didn't carry on drinking when they got home.. my social drinking was only the tip of the iceberg. Don't let other peoples seemingly extreme drinking habits make you think yours were normal too. I still slightly obsess about other peoples drinking habits a bit and they're all potential alcoholics to me right now. I find it's best just to focus on my own relationship to alcohol.
That said, I think that the way drinking is normalized in society is a major problem, especially in the UK. I really don't think being sober for longer is going to make me stop noticing that.