There are definitely plenty of alcoholics who have NO intention of ever quitting drinking. I come from a background from teenage years where drinking heavily was very common amongst my peers. I found that when I tried to get sober I stopped hanging out with most of them, because it seemed as though every activity centered on drinking.
We definitely cannot change other people, and it is a very slippery slope to try. With that said, many of us have tried, only to get frustrated. The only person you can truly change is yourself, and how you deal with and react/interact to others.