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

World Service Office–IRANWorld Iran Tehran, www.na-iran.org ® World Service Office–CANADAWorld Mississauga, Ontario +1 905.507.0100 Tel. Information Information about NA is an international, Anonymous Narcotics community-based association of recovering 70,000 weeklydrug addicts with over worldwide. meetings in 144 countries World Service Office–EUROPEWorld Belgium B-1050 Brussels, +32/2/646-6012 Tel. Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. World Anonymous Narcotics CA 91409 USA Nuys, Van 9999 – PO Box www.na.org Website: +1/818. 700.0700 +1/818.773.9999 Fax Tel.

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m Multiple answers were allowed. were Multiple answers Fa In that received 2015, the two areas 0% 10% 70% 30% 50% 20% 60% 90% 40% 80% 100% overwhelming with NA attendance improvement 92% of our where family relationships, were enrichment,members stated and social by 88% of which was realized connectedness, that active states literature NA’s the respondents. addiction is marked isolation and by increased Recoverydestruction of relationships. in NA has the damage helped survey repair to respondents drug addiction. from in their lives Quality-of-Life Areas Improvement ears y 27% ears , and on y 1–5 18% 6–10 ear y 8% < 1 The NA Way Magazine The NA Way ears y ears 25% y > 20 12% 11–15 ears y Gender: 41% female. 59% male, 11% 21–30 old and under, 1% 20 years Age: 24% 41–50 old, 21% 31–40 years old, years and 14% over old, 29% 51-60 years old, years old. 60 years Ethnicity: 74% Caucasian, 11% African- American, 6% Hispanic, and 9% other. full- Employment status: 60% employed part-time, 11% retired, 12% employed time, and 4% 4% students, 9% unemployed, homemakers. 10% Based on survey responses, the average length Based on survey the average responses,     of cleantime in NA is 8.32 years.     Drug-Free Years bership. There are, however, some objective mea- however, are, There bership. based on data obtained that can be shared sures one of our world conven- members attending from especially tions; the diversity of our membership, of be representative seems to ethnic background, The follow- location of the survey. the geographic a from was gathered information ing demographic survey by nearly completed 23,000 NA members. World The survey at the 2015 was made available Brazil in our of NA in Rio de Janeiro, Convention international journal, our website: 16 – 20 Although certain traditions guide its relations in with others interested cooperate to NA strives observations some general informal offer To by the NA The socioeconomic strata represented repre- are backgrounds All ethnic and religious is vol- Anonymous Membership in Narcotics with other organizations, Narcotics Anonymous Anonymous Narcotics with other organizations, the cooperation of those in government,welcomes professions, and healthcare treatment the clergy, and private voluntarycriminal justice organizations nonaddict been in- friends have NA’s organizations. started Anonymous strumental in getting Narcotics worldwide. countries and helping NA grow in many common coopera- Our more Anonymous. Narcotics contact providing information, are: tion approaches and sharing infor- disseminating recovery literature, NA members Additionally, mation about recovery. for presentations provide to often available are offering and correctional centers facilities, treatment the profes- to about the NA program information sional staff and sharing with addicts otherwise un- community-based attend meetings. able to and the effec- of the membership, about the nature observations the following of the program, tiveness accurate. be reasonably to believed are membership vary country from Usually, country. to members of one particular social or economic class start NA communities and sustain most developing development but as their fellowship worldwide, the membership activities effective, become more of all socio- representative broadly becomes more economic backgrounds. Once a developing among NA members. sented a certainNA community reaches of maturity, level its membership generally reflects the diversity or homogeneity culture. of the background untary; kept are either for records no attendance it Because of this, others. own purposes or for NA’s partiesprovide interested to is sometimes difficult about NA mem- information with comprehensive Cooperating with Narcotics Anonymous with Narcotics Cooperating Membership Demographics