The Twelve Traditions of Narcotics Anonymous
Traditions 1
Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon N.A. unity.
Traditions 2
For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority — a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
Traditions 3
The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using.
Traditions 4
Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups or N.A. as a whole.
Traditions 5
Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry the message to the addict who still suffers.
Traditions 6
An N.A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the N.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property, and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
Traditions 7
Every N.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
Traditions 8
Narcotics Anonymous should remain forever non-professional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
Traditions 9
N.A., as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
Traditions 10
Narcotics Anonymous has no opinion on outside issues; hence the N.A. name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
Traditions 11
Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio, and films.
Traditions 12
Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.