How
many drug addicts are there in A.A. and in the organization
similar to A.A. which operates among drug addicts?
Answer
We
have quite a number of drug addicts who were once alcoholics.
So far, I don't know of any case of pure drug addiction
that we have been able to approach. In other words,
we can no more approach a simon-pure addict than the
outsider can usually approach us. We are in exactly
the same position with then that the doctor and the
clergyman have been in respect to the alcoholic. We
just don't talk that fellow's language. He always looks
at us and says, "Well, those alcoholics are the scum
of the earth and besides, what do they know about addiction?"
Now, however, since we have a good number of addicts
who were once alcoholics, those addicts in their turn
are making an effort, here and there, to transfer the
thing over to the straight addict. In that way we hope
the bridge is going to be crossed. There may be a case
here and there that has been helped. But in all, I suppose,
there may be about 50 cases of real morphine addiction
in former alcoholics who have been helped by A.A. Of
course we have a great many barbital users, but we don't
consider those people particularly difficult if they
really want to do something about it; and particularly
if it's associated with liquor. They seem to get out
of it after a while. But where you have morphine, or
some of those other derivatives, then it gets very tough.
Then you have to have a "dope" talk to a "dope," and
I hope that we can some day find a bridge to the addict.
(Yale Summer School of Alcohol Studies, June 1945)
GO
BACK
GO
BACK