Cocaine Anonymous: World Services for cocaine users
Cocaine Anonymous was established as a Fellowship on November 16th, 1982 in the US and held their first meeting two days later. It was established by members who had participated in Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous and were familiar with twelve step programs to promote health. The importance of anonymity was important to members. Today, CA is established globally in many countries and a meeting is readily available. This fellowship consists of members who maintain their anonymity but get to know each other in local meetings. Anyone who suspects they have a drug problem can attend.
Advisory : Cocaine
Overdose deaths in the US from cocaine use increased from 12,122 in 2015 to 17,258 in 2016, which is 42.4% increase in one year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and cocaine is a major contributor to other health problems amongst users. Cocaine is derived from the Coca plant of south america and is a powerful stimulant that causes long term changes to the brain. Cocaine was originally used by chewing the coca leaves but today the drug is processed into a powder that can be injected, smoked or snorted up the nose. Cocaine can be mixed and heated with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate to produce a produce referred to as crack (because of the distinctive sound it makes when smoked.) It can be mixed with Heroin producing something often referred to as a speedball. Producers also cut the drug with other substances like talcum powder, cornstarch or flour to increase the yield and improve profits.
What Area do you find Cocaine Anonymous in the world?
CA maintains an international website at https://www.ca.org but there are many national resources available to start a meeting or find meetings. Cocaine Anonymous is becoming a worldwide resource with meetings and service bodies in an area near you. Check local resources. Members work to maintain their anonymity but they strive to carry a message to the still suffering addict in their service efforts. Groups form to offer a meeting to any one with a desire to stop using cocaine or other drugs.
A Meeting for CA is listed below:
Advisory – Meetings – each link is to a website.
- United States
- Canada
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- Barbados
- Denmark
- Dominican Republic
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hong Kong
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Norway
- Peru
- Portugal
- Russia
- Spain
- South Africa
- Sweden
- Suriname
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- United Arab Emirates
- Interested in starting a meeting?
Advisory – Other website resources
- If you need help – UK
- Literature
- Events
- To the Newcomer – WSO
- Ontario Canada Selftest
- Virtual Museum
- History
Advisory – Covid and Online Meetings
Treatment, national resources and service
CA is not a treatment center or rehab. Local groups are formed by members who meet regularly to help each other. Meeting attendance is free but members pass the hat in order to be self supporting. Groups will sometimes come together in a ‘district’ meeting, to assist each other with services like printing up meeting lists for distribution. Districts and Groups will also form area committees, regional committees and finally a world service conference meets annually to consider that affects the whole of Cocaine Anonymous.
Find help and information both local and national
Members of CA work locally to attract new members to meetings. Anonymity is critical to the success of public information. Meeting lists, websites, and referrals from doctors and treatment centers/rehabs help to promote a life free from active addiction. CA has literature available and ongoing efforts to translate literature into other languages. The availability of meetings is critical to the success of CA and the members who attend. Due to COVID, many meetings are now available online.
Twelve Steps of Cocaine Anonymous
Taking the Twelve Steps prepares us to have a “spiritual awakening” or a “spiritual experience” These phrases refer to the change in our thinking, attitudes, and outlook that occurs after taking the Steps. This change frees us from active addiction.
- We admitted we were powerless over cocaine and all other mind-altering substances—that our lives had become unmanageable.
- Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
- Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
- Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
- Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
- Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
- Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps, we tried to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.