Oh my G*d, nbay, it never occurred to me before. My STBXAH was a closet drinker. Always hid the alcohol, so the smell of alcohol isn't a trigger for me, but he would always try and cover it with mouthwash. Now the smell of Listerine makes me sick!
Figgin Listerine!
More to your original point, just make sure you're working on yourself, and keeping yourself emotionally healthy. As long as you're not looking to someone else to complete you, then you'll probably be ok however things turn out. That's good advice for a 15 year old just starting out in the dating world, or a 50 year old jumping back in.
And keep a lot of gum and mints in your purse so he won't need that friggin Listerine.