Frequently Asked Questions

Below there are frequently asked questions arranged by category.

Bill W. was the author of the "To Wives" chapter. It is commonly thought that his wife Lois wrote it. But, as 'Pass It On' describes (page 200), Lois…
A.A. has no officers or executives who wield power or authority over the Fellowship. There is no “government” in A.A. It is obvious, however, that…
The A.A. tradition of public relations has always been keyed to "attraction rather than promotion." A.A. never seeks publicity but always cooperates…
The record shows that A.A. will work for almost anyone who really wants to stop drinking, no matter what the person’s economic or social background…
Most people turn to A.A. when they hit the low point in their drinking careers. But this is not always the case. A number of persons have joined the…
When we use social media, we are responsible for our own anonymity and that of others. When we post or text, we should assume that we are publishing…
This is a personal matter. However, the spirit of the program is one of sharing, and a recent study of A.A. members shows that a high proportion of…
We do not maintain any membership lists, including lists of early members. It is difficult to piece together an accurate list of early members with…
A group from West Virginia was planning on starting a foundation with a club, a hospital, a rehabilitation center and a research center. They wrote…
Bill W. was not nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In early 1960 an individual from the New York area wrote to Bill concerning the possibility of…
While there is no formal list of promises in the Big Book, some A.A. members refer to the following passage from the Big Book, Chapter 6: Into Action…
The answer is that A.A. will work only for those who admit that they are alcoholics, who honestly want to stop drinking — and who are able to keep…