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)
