Alcoholics Anonymous is a model of social self-help. It is not a top-heavy service provider with its hand out for public funds, not an institution with high administrative costs, not an advocacy group that spends most of its energy campaigning for public and political influence.
AA comprises people with a common problem who meet for mutual support. It does not advertise itself or its meetings. It has no obvious head office or branch offices. It is as anonymous as the name suggests. Yet it is 70 years this month since the first AA group was set up in New Zealand.
Who know how many New Zealanders it has helped in that time? Our report today says there are now 464 groups around the country meeting weekly and an estimated 4000 members successfully controlling their alcoholism.
That means they have acknowledged their addiction and decided to do something about it, with the encouragement of family and friends. At AA they find they can be as anonymous as they wish — first names only are used — and gain the encouragement and unconditional support of people who know exactly how hard it is to stay sober.
The AA solution demands immense personal will power and perseverance "taking one day at a time", as they say. It means being able to say no to a drink when everyone around may be drinking. Nobody needs to be an alcoholic to know how hard that is. Pregnant women, and others avoiding alcohol for a period on medical advice, discover how much it influences social occasions.
