Find AA Meetings in Oregon

If you’re struggling with alcohol use in Oregon, you’re not alone. Excessive alcohol use is a leading cause of death for Oregonians, having a significant impact on physical and mental health as well as communities and the economy. AA meetings in Oregon could be the support you, or your loved one needs to overcome alcohol abuse or alcoholism (now called alcohol use disorder). This page provides detailed information about excessive alcohol use and treatment in Oregon, as well as information about what to expect in meetings and how to search for an AA meeting near you.

Get Help With Alcohol Addiction

Talk To Someone Now

Call toll free to:

• Find meetings near you
• Discover online or in person meetings
• Get 24 hour information on addiction

503-388-6604

All calls are 100% confidential

Calls are forwarded to these paid advertisers

Find Oregon AA Meetings Serving These Cities

Expert Insights 

Oregonians experience one of the highest rates of addiction (now called substance use disorders) in the nation, according to the Oregon Drug and Alcohol Policy Commission. Excessive alcohol use kills a staggering 2,000 Oregonians annually and causes significant health and economic problems for the state. Yet both alcohol and substance use disorders are preventable diseases. Even though state spending on substance use more than quadrupled since 2005, accounting for 17 percent of the entire state budget, less than 1 percent of those funds were spent on preventing, treating, or supporting Oregonians to recover from substance misuse. Instead, the money was spent on the economic consequences, like escalating health and social costs, due to the lack of treatment resources. The tragic cost to residents meant that an estimated 362,000 Oregonians needed but did not receive addiction treatment. 

The state’s strategic plan indicates a dire need for a full continuum of treatment resources, including early intervention, outpatient, intensive outpatient, residential, detox, medication-assisted treatment, and harm reduction. They also need increased social resources, such as transportation, housing, employment, and childcare. Investing in the addition of these resources would make a dramatic difference to the lives of Oregonians.

Alcoholism Statistics in Oregon 

In 2020, nearly 1 in 5 Oregon residents reported binge drinking and it is the third leading cause of preventable death and disease in Oregon, according to the Oregon Health Authority.

Substance use among youth

• Youth aged 18-25 have twice the prevalence of substance use disorders than all other age groups 
• 17 percent of 11th graders in Oregon reported binge drinking in the last 30 days

Alcohol use among adults

• 29 percent of adults aged 18 to 24 reported binge drinking, with trends increasing since 2001 when 15 percent reported binge drinking

Economic costs of substance use in OR

• An estimated $6.7 billion was spent on issues related to substance use, but less than 1 percent of that was spent on treatment
• Excessive alcohol use costs businesses $2.19 billion in labor productivity
• Alcohol-related criminal justice and motor vehicle crashes cost $1.3 billion annually
• $702.06 million is spent on healthcare because of hospitalization and ambulatory care due to the medical effects of excessive alcohol use
• Alcohol-related education and social welfare costs $605.52 million annually

Popular Types of AA Meetings in Oregon

Newcomers Meeting

Newcomers are, as the name suggests, for new people attending AA. You don’t have to attend a newcomer meeting if it is your first time going to AA, but you may find it helpful as these meetings are a very welcoming space for people new in recovery, or people who think they have a problem with drugs or alcohol. You will usually be given an opportunity to share your name and members will provide their telephone numbers and tell you a little more about AA and what to expect. Oftentimes members will also go for coffee after the meeting (this is called “the meeting after the meeting”). This isn’t required, but it’s worth knowing that many friendships develop in these coffee gatherings.

Tradition Study Meeting

The 12 steps and 12 Traditions are opposite sides of the same coin. Think of the steps as how members recover, and the traditions guide members how to maintain the principles of AA by describing the core values to live by. Like a study meeting, a tradition study meeting involves reading a passage of the book, The 12 Traditions , and members taking turns to either read or share their related experiences. 

Daily Reflections Meeting

This type of meeting centers on AA’s book Daily Reflections which is a collection of 365 short essays for members to reflect on. You may find topics centered around AA’s core principles, including being of service, gratitude, humility, and sobriety. Most members read this book every day as a short meditation or to reflect on their program of recovery. During a Daily Reflection meeting, members read a passage from the book and share their experiences.

As Bill Sees It

AA’s founder, Bill Wilson, wrote a book called As Bill Sees It, which serves as a source of inspiration, hope, and comfort for members of AA. The book includes essays on acceptance, gratitude, and spirituality. Like other literature-themed meetings, this kind of meeting reads a passage of As Bill Sees It and members share their related experiences.

Online AA Meetings in Oregon 

Oregon has a plethora of online AA meetings for all kinds of people and lifestyles:

• Early morning meetings at 6am and 6.30am (called Day Starters Zoom or Dawn Patrol)
• Women’s meeting at 8am online (Women Stepping Up)
• One Day at A Time (ODAAT) for anyone
• Evening meetings (Nite Owl Group) 
• Sunday Evening Newcomers meeting at 7.30pm
• Late night meetings: When We Retire at Night (8.30pm), You Name It (10pm), The Unshakeable Foundation (10pm), and Night Owls (11pm).

Resources for Alcohol Addiction

• Lines for Life: Oregon’s suicide and mental health crisis helpline, serving adults, veterans, and anyone else struggling with alcohol or substance use.
• Call 988 for crisis support or Ayuda En Español 1-888-628-9454
• Alcohol and Drug helpline: call 1-800-923-9347 for treatment resources 
• For military personnel, veterans, and their families, call Lines for Life Military Helpline on 1-800-457-4838
• Youthline is for youth and anyone under the age of 21. Call 1-877-968-8491 or text “Teen2teen” to 839863
• Behavioral Health Provider Directory: in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority, this network includes recommended behavioral health and addiction resources. 
• Native American Rehabilitation Association: provides educational, physical, mental health, and substance use resources that are culturally appropriate for American Indians and Alaska Natives, including inpatient and outpatient treatment
• Oregon.gov: here you’ll find a list of information about the impacts of substance use disorders in Oregon. Including an economic analysis, and the strategic plan of the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention “Drink Less, Be Your Best” Campaign information about alcohol use, risks, and normal drinking limits

Sources

1. Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission. (2020). Oregon Statewide Strategic Plan. Retrieved from: https://www.oregon.gov/adpc/SiteAssets/Pages/index/Statewide%20Strategic%20Plan%20Final%20(1).pdf
2. Oregon.gov (n.d.). Excessive alcohol use prevention. https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/preventionwellness/excessivealcoholuse/pages/index.aspx
3. Oregon Health Authority. (2021). Economic analysis of excessive alcohol consumption in Oregon. Retrieved from: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PREVENTIONWELLNESS/excessivealcoholuse/Documents/OHA-Alcohol-Harms-FINAL.pdf
4. Oregon Health Authority. (n.d). Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention: 2017-2025 Strategic Plan. Retrieved from: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/CHRONICDISEASE/Documents/hpcdp-strategic-plan.pdf
5. Oregon Health Authority. (2023). Shifting Attitudes Around Alcohol. An Overview of Rethink the Drink’s First Campaign. Retrieved from: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/PREVENTIONWELLNESS/excessivealcoholuse/Documents/RTD%20Launch%20Evaluation%20Brief.pdf