For Professionals

N.A. is a nonprofit Fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. This is a program of complete abstinence from all drugs. There is only one requirement for membership, the desire to stop using. We suggest that you keep an open mind and give yourself a break. Our program is a set of principles written so simply that we can follow them in our daily lives. The most important thing is that they work.

There are no strings attached to N.A. We are not affiliated with any other organizations, we have no initiation fees or dues, no pledges to sign, no promises to make to anyone. We are not connected with any political, religious or law enforcement groups, and are under no surveillance at any time. Anyone may join us, regardless of age, race, sexual identity, creed, religion or lack of religion.

We are not interested in what or how much you used or who your connections were, what you have done in the past, how much or how little you have, but only in what you want to do about your problem and how we can help. The newcomer is the most important person at any meeting, because we can only keep what we have by giving it away. We have learned from our group experience that those who keep coming to our meetings regularly stay clean….

NA’s earliest self-titled pamphlet, known among members as “the White Booklet,” describes Narcotics Anonymous this way: “N.A. is a nonprofit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. We … meet regularly to help each other stay clean. … We are not interested in what or how much you used … but only in what you want to do about your problem and how we can help.” Membership is open to all drug addicts, regardless of the particular drug or combination of drugs used. When adapting A.A.’s First Step, the word “addiction” was substituted for “alcohol,” thus removing drug-specific language and reflecting the “disease concept” of addiction.

There are no social, religious, economic, racial, ethnic, national, gender, or class-status membership restrictions. There are no dues or fees for membership; while most members regularly contribute small sums to help cover the expenses of meetings, such contributions are not mandatory.

Narcotics Anonymous provides a recovery process and support network inextricably linked together. One of the keys to N.A.’s success is the therapeutic value of addicts working with other addicts. Members share their successes and challenges in overcoming active addiction and living drug-free productive lives through the application of the principles contained within the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions of N.A. These principles are the core of the Narcotics Anonymous recovery program. Principles incorporated within the steps include: admitting there is a problem; seeking help; engaging in a thorough self-examination; confidential self-disclosure; making amends for harm done; and helping other drug addicts who want to recover.

Central to the Narcotics Anonymous program is its emphasis on practicing spiritual principles. Narcotics Anonymous itself is non-religious, and each member is encouraged to cultivate an individual understanding—religious or not—of this “spiritual awakening.”

Narcotics Anonymous is not affiliated with other organizations, including other twelve step programs, treatment centers, or correctional facilities. As an organization, N.A. does not employ professional counselors or therapists, nor does it provide residential facilities or clinics. Additionally, the fellowship does not provide vocational, legal, financial, psychiatric, or medical services. N.A. has only one mission: to provide an environment in which addicts can help one another stop using drugs and find a new way to live.

In Narcotics Anonymous, members are encouraged to comply with complete abstinence from all drugs including alcohol. It has been the experience of N.A. members that complete and continuous abstinence provides the best foundation for recovery and personal growth. N.A. as a whole has no opinion on outside issues, including prescribed medications. Use of psychiatric medication and other medically indicated drugs prescribed by a physician and taken under medical supervision is not seen as compromising a person’s recovery in N.A.

The primary service provided by Narcotics Anonymous is the N.A. group meeting. Each group runs itself based on principles common to the entire organization, which are spelled out in N.A.’s literature.

Most groups rent space for their weekly meetings in buildings run by public, religious, or civic organizations. Individual members lead the N.A. meetings while other members take part by sharing in turn about their experiences in recovering from drug addition. Group members also share the activities associated with running a meeting.

In a country where Narcotics Anonymous is a relatively new phenomenon, the N.A. group is the only level of organization. In places where a number of Narcotics Anonymous groups have had the chance to develop and stabilize, groups will have elected delegates to form a local service committee. These local committees usually offer a number of services. Included among them are:

• Distribution of N.A. literature.
• Telephone information services.
• Public information presentations for treatment staff, civic organizations, government agencies, and schools.
• Panel presentations to acquaint treatment or correctional facility residents with the NA program; and meeting directories for individual information and use in scheduling visits by client groups.

In some countries, especially the larger countries or those where Narcotics Anonymous is well established, a number of local/area committees have come together to create regional committees. These regional committees handle services within their larger geographical boundaries while the local/area committees handle local services.

An international delegate assembly known as the World Service Conference provides guidance on issues affecting the entire organization. Primary among the priorities of N.A.’s world services are activities that support young national movements and the translation of Narcotics Anonymous literature. For additional information, contact the World Service Office headquarters in Los Angeles, California. Contact information can be found under Links.

Although certain traditions guide its relations with other organizations, Narcotics Anonymous welcomes the cooperation of those in government, the clergy, the helping professions, and private voluntary organizations. N.A.’s nonaddict friends have been instrumental in getting Narcotics Anonymous started in many countries and helping N.A. grow.

N.A. strives to cooperate with others interested in Narcotics Anonymous by providing contact information, literature, and information about recovery through the N.A. Fellowship. Additionally, N.A. members are often available to make panel presentations in treatment centers and correctional facilities, sharing the N.A. program with addicts otherwise unable to attend community-based meetings.

Because no attendance records are kept, it is impossible to estimate what percentages of those who come to Narcotics Anonymous remain active in N.A. over time. The only sure indicator of the program’s success is the rapid growth in the number of registered Narcotics Anonymous meetings in recent decades and the rapid spread of Narcotics Anonymous outside North America.

• In 1978, there were fewer than 200 registered groups in three countries.
• In 1983, more than a dozen countries had 2,966 meetings.
• In 1993, 60 countries had over 13,000 groups holding over 19,000 meetings.
• In 2002, 108 countries had 20,000 groups holding over 30,000 meetings.
• In 2005, there are over 21,500 registered groups holding over 33,500 weekly meetings in 116 countries.

Click on the “Meeting List” button at the top of this page to see a list of N.A. meetings in the Pikes Peak Area. For information on meetings in other areas, we suggest that you consult the international meeting locator at www.na.org.

Recovery is never more than a phone call away. We operate a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week helpline which lists local meeting information and offers contact with trained volunteers who are recovering addicts and members of the local N.A. community. In the Pikes Peak area, call (719) 637-1580. For a directory of helplines in other areas, we suggest you consult the international phonelines page at www.na.org.

Led by trained N.A. volunteer speakers, these presentations are designed to provide information about the Narcotics Anonymous program. These presentations can be custom tailored to specific audiences from middle school and high school students to guidance counselors, business leaders, law enforcement officials, helping professionals and community and neighborhood groups. Four to six weeks advance notice is usually sufficient to ensure a successful event. For more information, contact our local public information chairperson.

Narcotics Anonymous has published a variety of pamphlets, books and workbooks, all addressing the topic of recovery from addiction. To learn more about what’s available, contact our local public information chairperson. To purchase N.A. literature in quantity, we recommend you contact N.A. World Services.