Narcotics Anonymous: A Fellowship Of Hope For Those Addicted To Drugs

September 8, 2023: We meet regularly to help each other stay clean. It is free to join; anyone can join, regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, creed, religion, or lack thereof. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop using drugs. NA offers a program of complete abstinence from all drugs, and its members share their experiences, strength, and hope with each other to recover from addiction. NA has helped thousands of people recover from addiction.

What is Narcotics Anonymous?

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength, and hope with each other to recover from addiction. NA is not a treatment centre or a replacement for professional help, but it can be a valuable resource for those struggling to stay clean.

The 12 Steps programme of NA

NA is based on the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, but it is open to anyone struggling with addiction, regardless of drug use. The 12 Steps are a set of principles that help members recover from addiction. They are not easy to follow, but they can be incredibly effective when used in conjunction with other recovery tools.

How Narcotics Anonymous works

NA meetings are held worldwide and open to anyone who wants to attend. Meetings are typically held daily, 365 days a year, lasting about an hour. At meetings, members share their experiences with addiction and recovery. They also offer support and encouragement to each other.

Providing a safe and supportive environment

NA has been around for 70 years, and it has helped millions of people recover from addiction. The fellowship is a vital resource for people struggling with addiction, and it can offer hope and support when it seems like all hope is lost.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please get in touch with NA. The fellowship can offer hope and support when all hope is lost.

A brief history of Narcotics Anonymous

NA was founded in Los Angeles in 1953, a non-profit fellowship or society of men and women for whom drugs had become a major problem. Its founder was James Patrick Kinnon, known as Jimmy Kinnon.
It’s headquartered in Los Angeles, California, in the USA.

According to the last update of May 2018, there were more than 70,000 NA meetings in 144 countries.

The beginning of Narcotics Anonymous in Mumbai

The addict finds sobriety in AA but struggles to stay clean

An addict who had found sobriety in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) but could not stop using other substances tried many things to get clean, including hospitalization and other remedies, but nothing worked. On July 12, 1978, he finally got clean with the help of his wife and some AA members.

Writes to NA World Service Office to start a meeting in Mumbai

After getting clean, the addict wrote a letter to the World Service Office of Narcotics Anonymous (NA) asking about the fellowship and how to start an NA meeting in Mumbai. He had found the address on a pamphlet that had been given to him by a priest several years ago.

The first NA meeting in Mumbai was held in a classroom

After several attempts to convince other addicts to join him, he finally gathered a group on September 8, 1983, to start the first NA meeting in Mumbai. The meeting was held in a classroom at St. Michael’s High School in Mahim, and it was attended by a few experienced AA members and the parish priest, Father Hillary.

The classroom was an old structure with broken Mangalore tiles on the roof, pieces of which kept falling. The floor was rickety with loose floor tiles. One of the classroom walls had a grilled gate which led to the graveyard. One member remarked, “The classroom resembled our lives – broken, falling, unstable, and so close to death. But the classroom was our home, our safe space, our only hope of a better life – and we addicts kept coming back.”

NA in Mumbai grows slowly but steadily

The initial few members began meeting regularly every Thursday. They followed the AA pattern of conducting meetings and found that the 12-step program was helpful in their recovery. The group grew slowly at first, but it eventually became one of the largest NA groups in Mumbai. The members of the group were determined to help other addicts find recovery, and they worked hard to spread the message of NA.

NA meetings in Mumbai provide hope and support

The NA meetings in Mumbai were where addicts could come to share their stories, find support, and learn how to live clean and sober. The meetings were also a place where addicts could find hope. The founding members of NA knew that recovery was possible, and they were determined to help others achieve it.

The classroom that became a home

The old St. Michael’s High School classroom was a far cry from the ideal meeting space. It was dirty, cramped, and in disrepair. But to the addicts who met there, it was a home. It was a place where they could come to be themselves, to share their stories, and to find support.

The classroom is no longer used for NA meetings, but it is still remembered by those there. It is a reminder of the power of NA to help addicts find recovery and hope.

Thus, Narcotics Anonymous was born in India, and the group was called the Foundation Group. Since then, NA has grown from those humble beginnings into a thriving fellowship.

Narcotics Anonymous in Mumbai and India as of Today

There are 19 groups and 32 meetings a week in Mumbai alone. Hundreds of meetings are held weekly in India; thousands have found recovery through NA. The men who founded NA in Mumbai showed recovery is possible, even when things seem impossible.

Meetings in Mumbai are conducted in English and Hindi, and an online meeting in Marathi. In other parts of India, meetings are in English, Hindi and their respective regional language. Literature is available in English, Hindi and regional languages.

Narcotics Anonymous Registered Office in India

6-B, Mukhyadhyapak Bhavan, 3rd Floor, Sion (West),
Mumbai 400 022, Maharashtra, India.

Get in touch: help@namumbai.org, Helpline: 91 7045379492

40th Anniversary of Foundation Group and 40 years of NA in India

On September 8, 2023, the Foundation Group and Narcotics Anonymous will celebrate its 40th anniversary in India. It represents the long and hard work of many people dedicated to helping others overcome addiction, making it a significant milestone for NA in India.

NA has grown significantly in India over the past 40 years. Over the years, NA has helped thousands of people recover from addiction. Regardless of age, gender, or background, the fellowship has helped people from all walks of life.

It is also a time to remember the few men who founded NA in India and to thank them for their courage and determination.

The Foundation Group, Mahim, will hold a special meeting on September 9 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Narcotics Anonymous in India.