I think my husband has been an alcoholic for a long time, well before he and I ever even met. This year is our 12 year dating anniversary and it's only the last 4 years that drinking has been a problem, only 2 years that I knew that it was alcohol causing him to act like Jekyl and Hyde. But his chewing tobacco...well I've been trying to control that ever since I met him.
Once we went on a double date to see a movie with friends and afterwards I refused to kiss him because he had been doing chewing tobacco in the theatre. Ew. I remember telling my friend that I was going to break up with him because the habit is so disgusting and I didn't want to kiss anyone that put that kind of garbage in their mouths, and who has a boyfriend that you don't want to kiss? Instead he started hiding it and lying about it. Anytime I found a can of chew, oh boy. It was basically training wheels for full blown alcoholism.