AA Meetings to begin on campus

Students with drinking problems will soon have a safe environment to put down the bottle and begin the 12 steps to sobriety.

Starting April 24 Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) will begin weekly meetings on campus.

Liz Moore, the alcohol and drug treatment specialist at Tufts set up the meetings at the request of some students. She said the discussions have been going on for months. "Students have requested this because many of them don't have cars, so AA meetings would be more accessible."

Though there are many formats in AA, the Tufts division will follow the traditional 12 step program, known as Step Meetings. The 12 step program revolves around student taking one step at a time and discussing the step at hand. Steps include admitting powerlessness to alcohol, taking moral inventory, and apologizing.

Moore decided on the format after discussion with students. "I took a poll on the type of meetings students would want most and looked at what meetings were available at what time," she said.

Meetings will only be closed, open only to AA members.

One of AA's tenets is to provide anonymity. The founders, both self defined 'hopeless alcoholics' began the group to provide a confidential forum for alcoholics.

According to Health Services, meetings are a matter of convenience rather than a sign of rising alcoholism on campus. Moore said the number of students who approached her was less than ten.

Tufts is not the only university to have such a program on campus. "I think a lot of schools have [this program] on campus because it's convenient," Moore said. Boston College and the University of Massachusetts also have AA meetings on campus.

Since college campuses are often havens for binge drinking it is important to recognize symptoms early. "It's good to recognize [alcoholism] at a young age," Moore said. "Having information helps to recognize the problem at an earlier stage. It's important."

There are those on campus who see potential problems along with the benefits of on-campus AA meetings. "Even if I needed to go to a meeting, I don't think I would go to one at Tufts," senior Danielle Holmes said. "I just don't know how many college kids would take it seriously, especially at Tufts."

Another problem with meetings being on campus is the possibility of familiar faces in the group. "Kids may be reluctant to go because they may know people at the meeting," sophomore Elizabeth Mendes said.

For the most part, however, students are supportive. "It is totally necessary to have this program so people can get better," sophomore Stephanie Upson said. "Anyone who needs help should have a place where they can go, and the fact that it's low-key makes more people feel like they can go to the meetings."

Moore does not see college alcoholics as a societal epidemic. "Every person responds differently. Some people are just more prone to addiction because of genetics," she said.

AA meetings are Saturday mornings at 10:30.

Services are also available to those addicted to drugs besides alcohol. Weekly Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings take place on campus every Sunday evening.