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Information About NA Is an International, Anonymous Narcotics Community-Based Association of Recovering 70,000 Weeklydrug Addicts with Over Worldwide

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Information About NA Is an International, Anonymous Narcotics Community-Based Association of Recovering 70,000 Weeklydrug Addicts with Over Worldwide Development Membership is open to all drug addicts, regard- personal growth. NA as a whole has no opinion on have come together to create regional committees. Narcotics Anonymous sprang from the less of the particular drug or combination of drugs outside issues, including prescribed medications. These regional committees handle services within Alcoholics Anonymous Program of the late 1940s, used. When adapting AA’s First Step, the word “ad- Use of psychiatric medication and other medically their larger geographical boundaries while the with NA meetings first emerging in the Los Angeles diction” was substituted for “alcohol,” thus removing indicated drugs prescribed by a physician and taken local/area committees operate local services. area of California, USA, in the early 1950s. The NA drug-specific language and reflecting the “disease under medical supervision is not seen as compro- An international delegate assembly known as program started as a small US organization that has concept” of addiction. Narcotics Anonymous pro- mising a person’s recovery in NA. the World Service Conference provides guidance grown into one of the world’s oldest and largest in- vides a recovery process and peer support network on issues affecting the entire organization. Primary ternational organizations of its type. For many years, that are linked together. One of the keys to NA’s Service Organization among the priorities of NA’s world services are NA grew very slowly, spreading from Los Angeles success is the therapeutic value of addicts working The primary service provided by Narcotics activities that support emerging and developing to other major North American cities and Australia with other addicts. Members share their successes Anonymous is the NA group meeting. Each group NA communities and the translation of Narcotics in the early 1970s. Within a few years, groups had and challenges in overcoming active addiction runs itself based on principles common to the Anonymous literature. For additional information, formed in Brazil, Colombia, Germany, India, Ireland, and living drug-free, productive lives through the entire organization, which is expressed in NA’s lit- contact the World Service Office headquarters in Japan, New Zealand, and Great Britain. In 1983, application of the principles contained within the erature. Los Angeles, California. The mailing address, tele- Narcotics Anonymous published its self-titled Basic Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of NA. These Most groups rent space for their meetings in phone number, fax number, and website address Text book, which contributed to NA’s tremendous principles are the core of the Narcotics Anonymous buildings run by public, religious, or civic organiza- appear at the end of this pamphlet. growth; by year’s end, NA had grown to have a pres- recovery program. Narcotics Anonymous itself is a tions. Individual members lead the NA meetings ence in more than a dozen countries and had 2,966 non-religious program of recovery; each member is while other members participate by sharing about Organizational Philosophy meetings worldwide. encouraged to cultivate an individual understand- their experiences in recovering from drug addiction. In order to maintain its focus, Narcotics Today, Narcotics Anonymous is well established ing—religious or not—of the spiritual principles Group members also work together to perform the Anonymous has established a tradition of non- throughout much of North and South America, and apply these principles to everyday life. activities associated with running a meeting. endorsement and does not take positions on Europe, Australia, the Middle East, New Zealand, There are no social, religious, economic, racial, In a country where Narcotics Anonymous is a rel- anything outside its own specific sphere of activity. and Russia. Groups and NA communities ethnic, national, gender, or class-status membership atively new and emerging fellowship, the NA group Narcotics Anonymous does not express opinions— continue to grow and evolve throughout the restrictions. There are no dues or fees for member- is the only level of organization. In places where a either pro or con—on civil, social, medical, legal, or Indian subcontinent, Africa, and Asia. Today the ship; most members regularly contribute in meet- number of Narcotics Anonymous groups have had religious issues. Additionally, it does not take stands organization is truly a worldwide multilingual ings to help cover the expenses incurred for the the chance to develop and stabilize, groups elect on addiction-related issues such as criminality, law multicultural fellowship with over 70,000 weekly rent of facility space. representatives to form a local service committee. enforcement, drug legalization or penalties, prosti- meetings in 144 countries. Narcotics Anonymous Narcotics Anonymous is not affiliated with other These local committees usually offer a number of tution, HIV/HCV infection, or syringe programs. books and information pamphlets are currently organizations, including other twelve step pro- services. Included among them are: Narcotics Anonymous strives to be entirely grams, treatment centers, or correctional facilities. available in 55 languages, with translations in distribution of NA literature; self-supporting through member contributions process for 16 languages.* As an organization, NA does not employ profes- and does not accept financial contributions from helpline information services; sional counselors or therapists nor does it provide non-members. Based on the same principle, groups Program residential facilities or clinics. Additionally, the fel- presentations for treatment and healthcare and service committees are administered by NA lowship does not offer vocational, legal, financial, staff, civic organizations, government members, for members. NA’s earliest self-titled pamphlet, known among psychiatric, or medical services. NA has only one agencies, and schools; members as “the White Booklet,” describes Narcotics Narcotics Anonymous neither endorses nor op- mission: to provide an environment in which ad- presentations to acquaint treatment or Anonymous this way: poses any other organization’s philosophy or meth- dicts can help one another stop using drugs and correctional facility clients with the NA odology. NA’s primary focus is in providing a recov- “NA is a nonprofit fellowship or society of find a new way to live. program; and ery environment whereby drug addicts can share men and women for whom drugs had become In Narcotics Anonymous, membership is based maintaining NA meeting directories for their recovery experiences with one another. By a major problem. We … meet regularly to help on a desire to stop using drugs including alcohol individual information and for any interested remaining free from the distraction of controversy, each other stay clean. ... We are not interested in and has as a foundation, the principle of complete person. NA is able to focus all of its energy on its particular what or how much you used ... but only in what abstinence. It has been the experience of NA mem- area of purpose. you want to do about your problem and how bers that complete and continuous abstinence In some countries, especially the larger countries we can help.” provides the best foundation for recovery and or those where Narcotics Anonymous is well established, a number of local/area committees *As of May 2018 Cooperating with Narcotics Anonymous bership. There are, however, some objective mea- Quality-of-Life Improvement Areas Although certain traditions guide its relations sures that can be shared based on data obtained Multiple answers were allowed. with other organizations, Narcotics Anonymous from members attending one of our world conven- tions; the diversity of our membership, especially 92% welcomes the cooperation of those in government, 88% ® ethnic background, seems to be representative of 100% 81% the clergy, treatment and healthcare professions, 77% 75% the geographic location of the survey. The follow- 90% criminal justice organizations and private voluntary 80% ing demographic information was gathered from a 56% organizations. NA’s nonaddict friends have been in- 70% strumental in getting Narcotics Anonymous started survey completed by nearly 23,000 NA members. The survey was made available at the 2015 World 60% in many countries and helping NA grow worldwide. 50% Convention of NA in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in our NA strives to cooperate with others interested in 40% Narcotics Anonymous. Our more common coopera- international journal, The NA Way Magazine, and on 30% tion approaches are: providing contact information, our website: 20% Information disseminating recovery literature, and sharing infor- Gender: 59% male, 41% female. 10% mation about recovery. Additionally, NA members Age: 1% 20 years old and under, 11% 21–30 0% about NA are often available to provide presentations for years old, 21% 31–40 years old, 24% 41–50 ent ent Narcotics Anonymous is an international, treatment centers and correctional facilities, offering ym m years old, 29% 51-60 years old, and 14% over community-based association of recovering information about the NA program to the profes- plo 60 years old. Education drug addicts with over 70,000 weekly m sional staff and sharing with addicts otherwise un- E relationships Ethnicity: 74% Caucasian, 11% African- y advance meetings in 144 countries worldwide. Stable housing able to attend community-based meetings. il Hobbies/Interest American, 6% Hispanic, and 9% other. m
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