Mumbai: Alcoholic Anonymous (AA), the 85-year-old international group that reaches out to the tipplers, has moved online to connect. The group, which used to meet in schools, religious institutions and such places privately, now connects with its members via meetings on zoom, blue jeans app and even via conference calls.
“We started online meetings soon after lockdown in March-end in response to multiple suicide cases emerging from Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. While two of them succumbed to drinking varnish in MP, in Kerala about five of them had slashed their wrists unable to bear withdrawal symptoms. We felt that we must reach out to support them. Lockdown restrictions had also clamped our meeting spaces,” said an general secretary, who stayed anonymous as part of their organisational mandate.
The organisation, which has over 2,131 physical groups across India with over 25,000 members, has witnessed huge surge in attendance after it shifted online. “Unlike earlier, where members would dither to attend physical meetings, we notice good attendance from members now. Also, earlier meetings would be held only in evenings, but now online meetings are available from early morning 7 am to midnight and people can join in at their convenient hours,” said an office bearer.
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The lockdown also triggered various issues among alcoholics with the AA receiving about 1200 calls on its helplines between March-end to May. Today, the AA conducts about 110 online meets across India in 10 different languages. About 20 lakh people order liquor online in a month in Maharashtra during the lockdown period from May 15 to June 22.
The AA group was started in Ohio, USA in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr Robert Smith, and came to India in 1957 with a group in Mumbai. Today, Mumbai has about 210 groups meeting at various schools, churches and other freely available spaces.
“About 60-70 % of our members inflow or referrals are from rehabilitation centers. The police also refer those caught in drunken driving cases. The AA is entirely self-funded, does not charge fees or collect donations and does not advertise its work,” the general secretary said.
They also maintain complete privacy and refuse to divulge full names of members even in their online meetings. The number of AA members is way below the actual number of alcoholics in India. Though we don’t have proper statistics, it is estimated that for every 1000 people, about 100 could be alcohol users, within which about 10% of these 100 would be hard drinkers with no control over it,” observed a general secretary of AA.
New members need to visit their website, www.aagsoindia.org or connect on their two national helplines, 9022771011 and 8097055134 to join their virtual meets.
