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With 16 districts across the state, each with numerous gathering locations, you can easily find AA meetings in Arizona. The AA fellowship has a simple goal–to provide a place where alcoholics share their experiences and support one another in recovery. But all AA meetings are not the same. You’ll find meetings that have very focused programming agendas, and meetings that are more open-ended, with few restrictions on topics and meeting format. You get to choose the type of meeting that suits you best; and with an AA meeting likely to be nearby, that should be easy.
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Calls are forwarded to these paid advertisersFind Arizona AA Meetings Serving These Cities
- Ajo
- Alpine
- Apache Junction
- Arivaca
- Arizona City
- Ash Fork
- Avondale
- Bapchule
- Benson
- Black Canyon City
- Buckeye
- Bullhead City
- Camp Verde
- Casa Grande
- Cave Creek
- Chandler
- Chino Valley
- Cochise County
- Coolidge
- Cottonwood
- Dewey-Humboldt
- Dolan Springs
- Dragoon
- Duncan
- El Mirage
- Flagstaff
- Florence
- Fort Defiance
- Fort McDowell
- Fort Mohave
- Fountain Hills
- Ganado
- Gilbert
- Glendale
- Globe
- Gold Canyon
- Golden Valley
- Goodyear
- Green Valley
- Guadalupe
- Heber-Overgaard
- Kingman
- Lake Havasu City
- Lake Montezuma
- Laveen Village
- Litchfield Park
- Marana
- Maricopa
- Mayer
- Mesa
- Miami
- Munds Park
- New River
- Nogales
- Oracle
- Oro Valley
- Overgaard
- Paradise Valley
- Parker
- Patagonia
- Payson
- Pearce
- Peoria
- Phoenix
- Pima
- Prescott
- Quartzsite
- Queen Creek
- Queen Valley
- Sacaton
- Safford
- Sahuarita
- San Carlos
- Sanders
- Santa Rosa
- Scottsdale
- Sedona
- Seligman
- Sells
- Sierra Vista
- Skull Valley
- Somerton
- Sonoita
- Sun City
- Sun Lakes
- Superior
- Surprise
- Tempe
- Tolleson
- Tombstone
- Tonopah
- Topock
- Tubac
- Tucson
- Vail
- Wellton
- Whiteriver
- Why
- Wickenburg
- Willcox
- Williams
- Winslow
- Wittmann
- Yarnell
- Youngtown
- Yuma
Expert Insights
During the pandemic, about 25% of alcohol users reported increasing their consumption to cope with stress. According to George F. Koob, Ph.D., director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, previous disaster-related spikes in drinking lasted 5 or 6 years before they slowly returned to pre-disaster levels.Today, there are numerous other stressful situations that may contribute to a slowed return to lower alcohol consumption. So, now is a good time to seek out alternatives for achieving the stress relief and quietude that you need. Meditating, enjoying leisure activities, and socializing with (non-drinking) friends are all good options.
Arizona Alcoholism Statistics
High number of alcohol-related deaths
Arizona’s alcohol-related deaths are high in comparison to its population. On average, about 3,670 people die each year in Arizona due to excessive alcohol use.During the five-year period between 2015 and 2019 (the most recent 5-year-statics available), the average annual rate of alcohol-related deaths per capita in Arizona rose as much as 40.9%
Causes of alcohol-related deaths
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most alcohol-related deaths (about 2/3) result from chronic health conditions that progress over many years of drinking–heart disease, liver disease (cirrhosis), cancers, and alcohol use disorder itself, which leads to excess fat in the liver that is associated with dangerous heart arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat). The remaining third of deaths result from alcohol-related accidents, poisonings involving alcohol and other substances, and suicide.
Cost of excessive alcohol use
Arizona taxpayers spend, on average, more than $8 billion annually, as a result of excessive alcohol use. Most of the cost is related to lost workplace productivity (72%), as well as health care costs for treating alcohol-related conditions and injuries, law enforcement and other criminal justice expenses, and losses from motor vehicle accidents that resulted from excessive alcohol use.
Popular Types of AA Meetings in Arizona
There are many different types of AA meetings that you can attend in Arizona. Some of the most popular meetings are Open Meetings, Closed Meetings, Big Book Study Meetings, and 12-Step- Meetings.
Open Meetings
Open AA meetings are “open” to all who wish to attend. This includes not only those who are already AA members, but their friends, family, and other supporters, as well as anyone else who may want to learn more about AA before making a choice about joining.
Closed Meetings
Closed AA meetings are for AA members only; they are not open to the public. One advantage of a closed meeting is that you can develop closer ties with the attendees, because often AA members make a certain meeting their “home group” and they attend this meeting regularly. Another advantage is the greater opportunity for anonymity.
Big Book Study Meetings
Big Book Study Meetings focus on the study of the AA “Big Book,” Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism. During these meetings, AA members often read aloud from the Big Book, discuss passages, and relate personal experiences or insights.
12-Step Meetings
During 12-Step Meetings, participants are learning to “work the steps.” Typically, the group reads and discusses each AA step, in order, as they progress through the book, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions. They also share their experiences and insights. A mentor, or sponsor, may assist a newcomer in working their steps.
Online AA Meetings in Arizona
Online AA meetings became popular during the pandemic, because in-person meetings were not possible. But today, online meetings are still thriving. Some people supplement their in-person meetings with online meetings because they can attend a meeting at any time of the day or night. For others, the ability to socialize at a distance, through an online presence, is more comfortable than engaging in face-to-face interactions. Many online meetings take place over a platform such as Zoom, Go to Meeting, or Google Hangouts. But you can also attend via an online chat forum or discussion board. Arizona also offers secular AA meetings, and the website, Arizona Secular AA, makes it easy to find a secular online (Zoom) meeting. The website lists meeting names, dates, times, and the Zoom IDs and passwords that are needed to log in.
Resources for Alcohol Addiction in Arizona
The state of Arizona offers several resources for alcohol abuse and treatment information.
Arizona Substance Abuse Partnership
The Arizona Substance Abuse Partnership is a state-wide council that addresses substance abuse, prevention, treatment, and recovery. Led by the Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith, and Family, the members of the council include treatment providers, tribal leaders, law enforcement personnel, and military veterans. Their website provides information on treatment and recovery programs at http://asaplocator.azurewebsites.net/provider.
Maricopa County Mental Health and Substance Use Department
The Maricopa County Mental Health and Substance Use Department develops and implements strategies, programs, and services to address Arizona’s mental health and substance abuse needs. Their website has general substance abuse information, links to treatment and recovery resources, and information about other related agencies. To find medication-assisted treatment (MAT) providers and MAT treatment centers, go to https://opioidservicelocator.azahcccs.gov/.
Resources
- National Institutes of Health. (2023). Risky Alcohol Use: An Epidemic Inside the COVID-19 Pandemic. https://covid19.nih.gov/news-and-stories/risky-drinking-alcohol-use-epidemic-inside-covid-19-pandemic
- CDC Alcohol and Public Health Report. (2024). Deaths from Excessive Alcohol Use in the United States https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/features/excessive-alcohol-deaths.html
- National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS). (2023). AZ Alcohol Abuse Statistics https://drugabusestatistics.org/alcohol-abuse-statistics/
- National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (2022).AZ Alcohol Abuse Statistics https://drugabusestatistics.org/alcohol-abuse-statistics/#arizona
- AZ Substance Abuse Partnership. (n.d.) Retrieved March 13, 2024, from https://goyff.az.gov/councils-commissions/arizona-substance-abuse-partnership
- Maricopa County Mental Health and Substance Use Department. (n.d.). Maricopa County Substance Use. Retrieved March 13, 2024, from https://www.maricopa.gov/5833/Substance-Use