Narcotics Anonymous activities are organized with help from the Yunnan Daytop Drug Addiction Treatment and Rehabilitation Center as part of the center's work to help recovering drug addicts remain clean. There are five essential characteristics of NA:

1. All NA members are drug users, and all drug users are qualified to join NA.
2. NA groups are self-supporting and do not accept aid from outside the group, especially financial aid.
3. An NA group's only goal is to help drug users follow NA's 12-step program for quitting drugs.
4. NA groups do not express any opinion on outside matters.
5. NA's public relations policy is to depend on interest in the organization, not publicity.

Narcotics Anonymous was created by drug users for drug users; its purpose is to use NA activities to aid in the quitting process and to deliver information and services directly to drug users. One of NA's main means of achieving these goals is by organizing group meetings where members can share their drug use experiences for the benefit of other members while at the same time transmitting information. Some NA groups meet once a week while others meet several times a week. The quality of an NA group rests directly on the effort invested by the group members.

The Narcotics Anonymous Association is not an NA meeting; it is the service organization which sets basic policy for situations affecting NA and has the responsibility for making decisions which directly affect NA.

One of NA's main goals is to transmit information to drug users and to provide the opportunity for every member to share their experiences giving up drug use. The association is our main medium for transmitting this information - it provides an accepting environment for new members and creates an atmosphere conducive to quitting drugs.

Sometimes special NA groups are organized for members who have similar special needs, in order to provide an accepting environment. Examples include special women's- and men's-only groups.


What kind of person can become a member?

If a drug user wants to become an NA member, they need only have a strong wish to stop using drugs. This is guaranteed by NA tradition. Whether to join a member of a special group depends entirely on the member. Participation in meetings is subject to government restrictions.


What are "open" and "closed" meetings?

"Closed" NA meetings are only open to drug abusers or to people who think they may have a drug-related problem; these meetings offer an atmosphere where members can be sure that other participants are accepting of their situation. For this very reason, new members often feel more comfortable in closed meetings. When a closed meeting begins, the meeting leader or chairperson should explain why the meeting is closed and advise non-members on how to participate in an open meeting.

"Open" NA meetings are those that are at times opened to anyone wishing to participate. Some groups have one meeting per month where members' non-drug using friends and family are allowed to attend, which has the advantage of allowing non-drug users to obtain a deeper understanding of the process of quitting drugs. Some groups offer meetings that are open by design, especially lecture meetings, which offer a chance to observe the workings of an NA meeting and to raise any questions.


What kinds of meetings do we use?

NA Association meetings use many different kinds of meetings to help strengthen members' resolve to quit using drugs and remain clean. Mot meetings last between one and one-and-a-half hours. Some groups follow a cycle for their meetings; for instance, this week group members will study the 12 steps, next week they will have lectures, etc. Other groups break into smaller groupings after the start of each meeting, with each small group following its own model.


How can we better serve the community?

NA already offers substantial services to the community in the form of support and aid to drug addicts who wish to return to mainstream society. But how can we effectively impact drug addicts who have not yet discovered NA? Generally speaking there are two channels which can help us to better serve the community: working through district service committees and adjusting our own activities to bring about the desired results.

District service committees were established to facilitate the transmission of information from the NA Association - they represent all of NA's service aims and are made up of members from many different NA groups. The three channels most often used by committee members to transmit information are community information centers, telephone hotlines and discussion groups established in drug treatment centers and prisons. Through these avenues of communication, committee members are able to directly deliver information to current drug users and to those who might be convinced by other current drug users to attend NA meetings.