Public relations NA has no opinion on outside issues

Or do we?

Often, professionals in the healthcare and treatment fields say that Narcotics Anonymous does not welcome addicts who are taking prescription psychiatric medication or drug-replacement medications as part of their treatment. NA World Services usually responds with statements from our traditions such as, “NA has no opinion on outside issues. We don’t take sides. We don’t make any recommendations.” However, the professional retort remains: “That is not what NA members tell our clients.” When our individual members share their personal opinions, NA’s reputation can be harmed.

Medication

How can NA be a viable and credible program of recovery when members state their personal opinions as if they were NA’s opinions? We’ve all heard about NA members who have expressed their own opinions to other addicts coming to our meetings who are taking prescription psychiatric medication or medication for a physical condition such as cancer—in fact, we may have been that opinionated member ourselves! We need to consider, however, that when we share our own opinion, it can be preceived as NA’s opinion. Though it’s obviously nobody’s intention to hurt the fellowship, we need to be aware that expressing our own opinions in this way can damage NA as a whole. We can hurt NA’s reputation, with the result being that professionals may choose not to refer addicts to NA.

In the Public Relations Handbook, we clearly state that “trusted servants can educate NA members that it is inappropriate to interfere with medication that has been prescribed to members by healthcare providers.” (p. 77) In our Basic Text, we further state that NA has “no staff psychiatrists, doctors, lawyers, or counselors. Our program works by one addict helping another. If we employed professionals in NA groups, we would destroy our unity.” (p. 69)

NA World Services hears statements from professionals all the time, and many of us wonder what ever happened to our Tenth Tradition: “Narcotics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the NA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.” (Basic Text, p. 71)

Drug replacement

Our Third Tradition says, “The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using.” Who are we to judge the quality or authenticity of another member’s desire? An addict participating in a drug-replacement program demonstrates his or her desire to stop using when he or she attends NA meetings. Our Basic Text’s essay on the Third Tradition says, “All addicted persons are welcome and equal in obtaining the relief that they are seeking from their addiction.” (p. 62) How do we as members welcome these addicts? How do we demonstrate that all addicts are equal?

The Public Relations Handbook further states, “We cannot assess anyone’s desire to get clean and… NA has no opinion on drug replacement therapies.” (p. 67) Individual members can share their recovery and freedom in NA in an attractive manner. This will speak louder to an addict in drug-replacement therapy than judgment and condemnation. After all, it’s all about carrying the message of recovery. Equally important, that kind of sharing is more likely to lead professionals who refer addicts for help to view NA as a program choice for their clients.

How can we help our members understand the Tenth Tradition? How can we welcome and embrace addicts who are taking medications? We have a booklet, In Times of Illness, to support members, and our traditions to guide our services.

How can we uniformly present our program of recovery to professionals in a positive light? NA’s goodwill with professionals is sometimes jeopardized by the actions of individual NA members who voice their own opinions as if they were the fellowship’s. We can work together—follow our traditions, read recovery literature, host learning days—to help realize our tradition that “NA has no opinion on outside issues.”

NA World Services public relations activities

The Public Relations Handbook, including the Area Planning Tool, is now available. This handbook can be purchased and viewed at www.na.org. The chapter resource material continues to be developed, and it is hoped that additional resource material will be available late in the first quarter of 2007. Please check our website for updates.

Conferences and events

Narcotics Anonymous World Services has participated in several conferences. We presented information about NA at the World Therapeutic Communities Conference, held in New York City, USA, in August 2006. Professionals from therapeutic communities have begun to appreciate and refer addicts to NA.

We traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, in September to participate in the annual conference of the International Council on Addictions and Alcohol. During this event, we interacted with treatment and research professionals and government officials. The health ministers for Finland, Mexico, and Romania said that they are supporters of NA for addicts in their countries. They want NA to be available in their communities and languages.

Additionally, NAWS participated in Recovery Month kickoff festivities in Washington, DC, USA, in September. We attend their planning-partners meetings throughout the year, serving as a community resource for the national partners.

We attended the Cape Cod Symposium in Hyannis, Massachusetts, USA. This was our initial conference for treatment professionals in the northeastern United States, and we were gratified that conferees enthusiastically welcomed both our participation and our recovery literature—resources for their clients.

We wrapped up September with participation at the International Chemical Dependency Nurses’ Conference. This was our first interaction with these healthcare professionals, who expressed gratitude that we were at the conference. We were able to clarify misconceptions they had about NA, and introduce them to our vast resource of recovery literature.

Partnering with NA communities

During the public relations session held at WSC 2006, we discussed our desire to partner with area and regional committees on public relations events. We believe this directly reflects our Vision Statement: “NA communities worldwide and NA World Services work together in a spirit of unity and cooperation to carry our message of recovery.”

NAWS generally participates in national and international events, but there are many conferences that need the support of local NA members to inform professionals about NA and provide them with information about our recovery literature. Cooperative relationships with these professionals help us come closer to the fulfillment of our vision that “Every addict in the world has the chance to experience our message in his or her own language and culture and find the opportunity for a new way of life.”

NAWS recently partnered with the Tejas Bluebonnet Region and several of its areas for two professional events. The Region of the Virginians also partnered with NAWS on a professional event in October 2006.

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