All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Editorial: Alcoholics Anonymous still the best solution for alcoholism

Herald on Sunday
23 Jun, 2018 05:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

AA is marking 70 years of helping alcoholics help themselves. Photo / File
AA is marking 70 years of helping alcoholics help themselves. Photo / File

AA is marking 70 years of helping alcoholics help themselves. Photo / File

Editorial

Alcoholics Anonymous is a model of social self-help. It is not a top-heavy service provider with its hand out for public funds, not an institution with high administrative costs, not an advocacy group that spends most of its energy campaigning for public and political influence.

AA comprises people with a common problem who meet for mutual support. It does not advertise itself or its meetings. It has no obvious head office or branch offices. It is as anonymous as the name suggests. Yet it is 70 years this month since the first AA group was set up in New Zealand.

Who know how many New Zealanders it has helped in that time? Our report today says there are now 464 groups around the country meeting weekly and an estimated 4000 members successfully controlling their alcoholism.

That means they have acknowledged their addiction and decided to do something about it, with the encouragement of family and friends. At AA they find they can be as anonymous as they wish — first names only are used — and gain the encouragement and unconditional support of people who know exactly how hard it is to stay sober.

The AA solution demands immense personal will power and perseverance "taking one day at a time", as they say. It means being able to say no to a drink when everyone around may be drinking. Nobody needs to be an alcoholic to know how hard that is. Pregnant women, and others avoiding alcohol for a period on medical advice, discover how much it influences social occasions.

All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

To be sober at a drinking dinner party is to be soon bored. The alcohol-fuelled conversation becomes tedious and the wit the party is finding hilarious is usually dull to the clear mind. Alcohol is a sedative that will send a person to sleep in large enough quantity. But along the way it is euphoric and that can be addictive.

AA probably requires too much will power for some of those who lives and families are being damaged by alcoholism. Public health campaigners propose a range of measures to help them, including raising the price of alcoholic beverages with taxes, restricting further its advertising and sale, and raising the age at which it can be legally purchased.

All these will be urged upon the new Government. All would effect those who enjoy alcohol in safe quantities and might not deter those with a problem. AA's solution is better. Long may it continue to help alcoholics help themselves.

Discover more

New Zealand

Why does booze do this to me? Jordan Luck on 36 beers a day

23 Jun 08:11 AM
Crime

Repeat drink driving costs Napier man almost $2400

24 Jun 06:00 PM
New Zealand

Jordan Luck's battle with the booze

23 Jun 10:07 PM
Opinion

Hawkesby: What the Heff? Calling time on our booze and binge mentality

25 Jun 06:52 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

'Try-hard idiots': Police Minister blasts ‘cowardly’ boy racers ahead of Tauranga 'invasion'

31 May 07:00 AM
New Zealand

'Community have their eyes': Police recover stolen pounamu

31 May 06:06 AM
New Zealand

Couple's renovation dream almost derailed by court's error in $8k window dispute

31 May 06:00 AM

Gold demand soars amid global turmoil

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Blues blitz Waratahs to keep playoff hopes alive
Super Rugby

Blues blitz Waratahs to keep playoff hopes alive

31 May 06:33 AM
Blues v Waratahs recap: Rieko Ioane scores hat-trick in big win
Super Rugby

Blues v Waratahs recap: Rieko Ioane scores hat-trick in big win

31 May 06:28 AM
'Community have their eyes': Police recover stolen pounamu
New Zealand

'Community have their eyes': Police recover stolen pounamu

31 May 06:06 AM
Couple's renovation dream almost derailed by court's error in $8k window dispute
New Zealand

Couple's renovation dream almost derailed by court's error in $8k window dispute

31 May 06:00 AM
Fur Patrol hit back at Bishop's 'what a load of crap' Stan Walker remarks
New Zealand

Fur Patrol hit back at Bishop's 'what a load of crap' Stan Walker remarks

31 May 05:53 AM

Latest from New Zealand

'Try-hard idiots': Police Minister blasts ‘cowardly’ boy racers ahead of Tauranga 'invasion'

'Try-hard idiots': Police Minister blasts ‘cowardly’ boy racers ahead of Tauranga 'invasion'

31 May 07:00 AM

Police expect more 'anti-social road user gatherings' this weekend.

'Community have their eyes': Police recover stolen pounamu

'Community have their eyes': Police recover stolen pounamu

31 May 06:06 AM
Couple's renovation dream almost derailed by court's error in $8k window dispute

Couple's renovation dream almost derailed by court's error in $8k window dispute

31 May 06:00 AM
Fur Patrol hit back at Bishop's 'what a load of crap' Stan Walker remarks

Fur Patrol hit back at Bishop's 'what a load of crap' Stan Walker remarks

31 May 05:53 AM
Explore the hidden gems of NSW
sponsored

Explore the hidden gems of NSW

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search