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)
