Formation of a combined AA and NA Group?

Question: Has there been the formation of any combined AA-NA groups. I see the "distinction" used in our group to give our elders permission to show addicts the front door. I am personally an alcoholic but my beliefs are that we should be trying to help both since the program is about the solution and it applies to addicts to both classes. Thank you.

Answer: The Traditions of both fellowships are such that they can not be combined and still be called AA, NA or any combination of the two. The Third Tradition ends this way:

Any two or three alcoholics gathered together for sobriety may call themselves an A.A. group, provided that, as a group, they have no other affiliation.

Swap out N.A. for A.A. and you have the Third Tradition for that fellowship.

By Tradition if you create an affiliation with another organization you stop being part of whichever Tradition "governed" fellowship you started as. This makes it pretty much impossible to have a combined AA and NA group.

While many in AA see the problem of alcoholism and addiction as the same thing the focus of AA will always be on alcoholism. If a person wants to attend a fellowship that considers alcoholism and addiction as the same thing then NA is an existing option.