That's great Jaynie. I imagine we do have somewhat of an influence on those around us. I remember talking about drinking with a guy at work while I was still using (and didn't have a clue how bad I was). He said he stopped drinking the day he woke up and couldn't remember half the night before. It kind of shocked me back to reality a little. I had blacked out before yet I kept going. That conversation was about 5 years ago and I remember it vividly. I am sure it tripped something in my mind that later helped.
I am like you in that I don't use the word alcoholic outside of SR but it is no secret that I quit and why. There are people at my work that are at risk and I talk about my experiences with them the same way that guy talked to me. This happened and that's when I decided enough is enough. Sometimes just showing a person that certain things, like blackout or waking up still drunk, are not normal may help. I honestly thought my behavior was on the normal spectrum and not the alcoholic spectrum.