Alcoholics Anonymous is 75!

Alcoholics Anonymous is 75!

If you want to drink that’s your business, if you want to stop we can help
6 to 12 June 2010 www.aa.org.nz

Alcoholics Anonymous is 75 years old on 10 June and in the last 75 years has saved countless lives and families by assisting alcoholics to stop drinking.

From two men meeting in 1935 to over two million members estimated worldwide today, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) celebrates 75 years of “one alcoholic talking to another”. From 1-4 July over 40,000 AA members are expected to gather in San Antonio for the 2010 International Convention.
US media release: http://www.aa.org/lang/en/press.cfm?PressID=13&thisyear=2010-01-01

In New Zealand AA is having its first NZ nationwide public information campaign. Newspapers, radio, TV, web advertising as well as the backs of buses in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Many of AA’s 420 New Zealand groups will be contacting local media during the week around the 10th of June.

Alcoholics Anonymous has taken the unusual step of finding two non –alcoholics who can speak for AA; Dr Tom Flewett of Wellington and Ian Hastings of Auckland. Dr Flewett is a trustee of AA and Ian Hastings, as an ex-policeman, has dealt with many alcoholics professionally.

AA’s focus week is unusual for a range of reasons.
• AA does not accept money – AA only takes donations from members and practices 'corporate poverty' to prevent money and property diverting AA from its purpose. This also recognises that most drinking alcoholics create havoc and getting sober is about being 'self-supporting'.
• The week is simply to show heavy drinkers how to find AA. The Alcoholics Anonymous message is if anyone wants to stop drinking, they can make contact. People who want to drink are not AA’s business.
• AA has no opinions on other treatment options for alcoholics and co-operates with health and other professionals.

AA is asking media to co-operate in 2 ways:

1) by running stories on AA - individuals will talk to you and tell you their stories and experiences;
2) by preserving the anonymity of the members of AA - ensuring their identities are not revealed.

Anonymity assures alcoholics that their recovery will be private. Often, the active alcoholic will avoid any source of help which might reveal his or her identity. When running stories on A.A. members or anybody who attends one of our meetings please:
• use first names only
• do not use pictures in which their faces may be recognized.

This may seem unusual but AA is not represented by any specific people and should not be judged on their public image or success or failure.
AA doesn't comment on drinking laws, alcohol sales or other issues we just talk about how AA works and how alcoholics can stop drinking.

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