Your First NA Meeting

At your first NA meeting you may discover that:

• Meetings typically last between 1 to 1½ hours.
• No one has the right to say you can or can’t belong. You are a member when you say you are.
• When you arrive at your first meeting you can expect to see recovering addicts welcoming each other and socializing. It is not uncommon for new members to be warmly welcomed, such as a greeting with a hug. If you’re not comfortable hugging, don’t hesitate to say so. Most members will be understanding about this.
• You may see information pamphlets (aka “IPs“), books and activity flyers. Feel free to take pamphlets and flyers. Books are typically for sale at cost. If you cannot afford a book, let someone at the meeting know and one may be donated to you by the group or by another member.
• Meetings are led by what our area refers to as a meeting ‘Chairperson’.
• The meeting Chairperson typically will open the meeting first with a moment of silence, followed by a non-denominational prayer, NA readings, and announcements. The Chairperson will then ask if any newcomers and/or visitors would like to introduce themselves to the group. Participation in meetings is fully voluntary and highly encouraged, though we are to never be forced or required to share.
• The Chairperson opens up the meeting for members to speak on any subject related to recovery. Members will speak; sharing their experience, strength and hope. Again, sharing is voluntary.
• Members are also encouraged to avoid “crosstalk,” which means we share our own experiences instead of responding to other members. Individuals can have conversations before or after meetings. We strive to share from our own experiences, living life without using drugs.
• While members are sharing we refrain from side conversations and other distracting activities that may disrupt the meeting.
• There are no fees or dues to attend an NA meeting. We are self supporting through our own contributions. You will see a basket being passed, to collect donations from members to pay rent for the meeting place, purchase literature, refreshments, etc. Visitors and new members are asked not to donate at their first meeting.
• Although meetings may be located at a variety of publicly accessible buildings, meeting locations do not imply affiliation with the building’s owner or organization.
• Meetings use a variety of formats such as Participation, Speaker, Topic Discussion, Book Study, Newcomer, Question and Answer, etc. We encourage all to find a meeting that fits their needs.
• There are no attendance monitors at meetings and we are under no surveillance at any time.

As Narcotics Anonymous continues to grow as a worldwide fellowship we find it difficult at times to obtain and keep suitable meeting locations.

With that in mind we kindly ask members to:

• Please maintain a respectable level of volume when arriving and departing from meeting facilities.
• Please remember that others may be offended by our tone and language.
• Please, please, please dispose of trash and cigarette butts appropriately.

People have all sorts of reasons for attending NA meetings, but the reason for each meeting is to give NA members a place to share recovery with other addicts. If you are not an addict, look for an open meeting, which welcomes non addicts. If you are an addict or think you might have a drug problem, we suggest a meeting every day for ninety days (also known as a ’90-in-90′) to familiarize yourself with the rooms and to allow yourself to get to know NA members and the program.

NA literature is also a great source of information about the program. Our Basic Text book (labeled, “Narcotics Anonymous”), the “How it Works and Why?” book or our information pamphlets (IPs) are a good place to start. Most meetings offer IPs for free, while books are generally sold at the group’s cost. You can find more literature and resources directly on the official NA.org website.

(Edited; Source: NCRNA)

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