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AA General Service Area 63 covers South Dakota. It contains 14 geographic districts that host 169 in-person AA groups and one virtual group statewide. So, you can easily find AA meetings in South Dakota. The purpose of the AA fellowship is to provide a place where alcoholics can share their experiences and support one another in recovery. There are different types of AA meetings. Some meetings have specific programming agendas, and others place few restrictions on their topics or meeting format. Some AA meetings are open to the public, while other meetings restrict attendance to AA members only.
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Calls are forwarded to these paid advertisersFind South Dakota AA Meetings Serving These Cities
- Aberdeen
- Arlington
- Armour
- Belle Fourche
- Beresford
- Black Hawk
- Brandon
- Britton
- Brookings
- Buffalo
- Centerville
- Chester
- Clark
- Colman
- Custer
- Deadwood
- Elk Point
- Ethan
- Flandreau
- Freeman
- Garretson
- Harrisburg
- Hill City
- Hot Springs
- Howard
- Huron
- Irene
- Kyle
- Lake Preston
- Lennox
- Madison
- Martin
- McLaughlin
- Milbank
- Mitchell
- Mobridge
- Parker
- Parkston
- Pickstown
- Pierre
- Platte
- Rapid City
- Saint Francis
- Selby
- Sioux Falls
- Sisseton
- Spearfish
- Sturgis
- Vermillion
- Wagner
- Watertown
- Whitewood
- Winner
- Yankton
Expert Insights
In 2021, a triage center, the Link, opened in Sioux Falls to offer 24/7 care for individuals with mental health or addiction crises. The Link treats a disproportionate number of Native American patients, so a culturally sensitive approach is employed. The center seeks to improve treatment access to vulnerable populations, reduce ER visits, and reduce intoxication-related jail holds. They offer sobering rooms, drug withdrawal care, and stabilization services. Over half of the patients seen at the Link said they knew of no other place to go for help. Replication of this kind of coordinated service provision with cultural consideration should be prioritized
Alcoholism Statistics in South Dakota
Prevalence of binge drinking in South Dakota
22.3% of South Dakota adults over the age of 18 report binge drinking at least once a month. The median alcohol consumption for binge drinkers is 5.7 drinks per binge, and the median number of binges is 1.7 per month. The 25% of heaviest drinkers binge 4 times a month and consume 7.9 drinks per binge.
Deaths caused by excessive alcohol use
South Dakota has an average annual alcohol-related death rate of about 463 people. During the five-year period between 2015 and 2019, the average annual rate of alcohol-related deaths per capita rose by 65.%. In 2023, South Dakota averaged one (1) death from excessive alcohol use for every 1,915 people aged 18 and older.
Underage drinking in South Dakota
Teens and youth ages 18-25 in South Dakota have about a 7% lower use of alcohol than the overall U.S. average for their age group. About 8.5% of South Dakota youth reported using alcohol during a previous month. Among 12–17-year-olds, 1.42% per year meet the criteria for alcohol use disorder.
Popular Types of AA Meetings in South Dakota
There are many different types of AA meetings that you can attend in South Dakota. The most popular meetings are Open Meetings, Closed Meetings, 12-Step- Meetings and Big Book Study Meetings, although you may also find specialty meetings such as guest speaker meetings, Daily Reflections meetings and “As Bill Sees It” meetings.
Open Meetings
Open AA meetings welcome everyone who wishes to attend. This includes not only people who are currently AA members, but also their friends and family, as well as people who may be considering joining AA, or others who may just want to learn more about the AA fellowship. Guest speakers are most often invited to speak at open meetings.
Closed Meetings
Closed AA meetings are open to AA members only. They are not for public attendance. One big advantage of closed meetings is that it is easier in a closed meeting to develop friendships and relationships, because many AA members make a certain meeting their “home group.” They attend the same meeting regularly and are more consistently available. Another advantage of a closed meeting is that it provides greater opportunity for anonymity.
12-Step Meetings
During 12-Step Meetings, members learn about “working the steps” of the AA program. Typically, members will read aloud from the book, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, addressing one particular step. After the reading, members often discuss the passage and share their personal experiences and insights. AA “sponsors,” or mentors, often assist newcomers, helping them work their steps.
Big Book Study Meetings
Big Book Study Meetings typically start by reading passages from the AA “Big Book,” Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism. Then, members will discuss what they read and share their personal experiences or insights, as they relate to the information.
Online AA Meetings in South Dakota
Online AA meetings became more widely used during the pandemic, when in-person meetings were canceled. Today, online meetings are still thriving, and some have even grown. Some AA members like to supplement their in-person meetings with online meetings. This way they can attend a meeting at any time, day, or night. Other people find that socializing through an online presence is more comfortable for them than communicating in an in-person group. Most online meetings take place over a platform such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Go to Meeting. But you can access some AA online meetings via chat rooms, discussion boards, or by telephone.
Resources for Alcohol Addiction in South Dakota
The state of South Dakota has many resources options for alcohol abuse treatment.
Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services in South Dakota
The state of South Dakota Department of Social Services offers a brochure, available online at
https://dss.sd.gov › docs › substance_use_brochure.pdf, that details how you can access state funded addiction treatment–screenings, assessments, detox, and inpatient or outpatient treatment, including treatment for pregnant women.
Pennington County Care Campus – Addiction Treatment
Pennington County Care Campus in Rapid City, South Dakota, offers addiction treatment with state-assisted funding. They provide detox services, residential and outpatient treatment, as well as DUI assessments and classes. You can find information on the Pennington County government website at https://www.pennco.org/ccadp/.
South Dakota Addiction Hotlines
The South Dakota Addiction Hotline can be reached at 866-210-1303. An addiction specialist is available 24/7 to offer phone crisis counseling and referrals to crisis services. You can also call the South Dakota Helpline Center by dialing 211 or texting your zip code to 898211 to be connected to an addiction specialist.
Resources
- Health Care Finance News.com (2024). South Dakota facility bringing cultural compassion to addiction treatment. https://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/south-dakota-facility-bringing-cultural-compassion-addiction-treatment
- Health Care News.com (2024). How one triage center delivers more culturally sensitive mental health and addiction care.https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/how-one-triage-center-delivers-more-culturally-sensitive-mental-health-and-addiction-care
- National Center forDrug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS). (2023). SD Alcohol Abuse Statistics https://drugabusestatistics.org/alcohol-abuse-statistics/#south-dakota
- SouthDakota.gov (2022). Substance use disorder treatment services in South Dakota. https://dss.sd.gov › docs › substance_use_brochure.pdf
- Pennington County.org–Departments (nd). Care Campus -Addiction Treatment. Accessed 4/04/24 at https://www.pennco.org/ccadp/.
- National Hotline.org (nd). South Dakota Addiction Hotlines. Accessed 4/04/2024 at https://nationalrehabhotline.org/south-dakota/.