Singleness of Purpose

AROUND 1980-81, several things happened that looked like the beginning of a trend. A new treatment center in this state began to aggressively promote the concept of "chemical dependence," i.e., that alcoholism and drug addiction are "different symptoms of the same disease." Graduates of the center began to come to AA meetings in large numbers and were vocal and persistent in their use of such expressions as "drug of choice" and "addictive personality." Some young AAs held a workshop on dual addiction; most of those present seemed to feel that AA should "catch up with the times"; and few people referred to the Conference-approved pamphlet "Problems Other than Alcohol." We began to hear more and more "drugalogs" at meetings.