The Fluctuating Boundaries between Alcoholics Anonymous,Alcoholism Treatment and the Icelandic Society

Abstract

Since AA's beginning in 1954 the number of AA meetings has increased from 0.6 to 82.4 per 100 000 inhabitants in 1990. The structure above the local level is rather weak and attempts to create committees to link the local and national level have not been successful. In general, the membership includes a broad range of members with about 30 percent of the members under 30 years old and 29 percent women. Because of the small size of the population, the organizational principles of AA have proven problematic, in particular the principle on anonymity. AA's first involvement with treatment came about already in its first year when a group of founding members established and ran a clinic for alcoholics that was closely tied to AA. Later the Laymen's Council on Alcoholism (founded in the mid 1970s largely by AA members) established 12–step alcoholism treatment units, while aftercare became the AA's main function. Thereafter, the boundaries between AA and the Laymen's Council on Alcoholism became unclear to the general public. The vigour of the Icelandic AA lies in its relatively large size and nation-wide growth, while the weakness lies in lost functions. Political consensus on the importance of alcoholism treatment, the strength of the family institution, and the closeness of the people may explain why inpatient treatment has become such an important factor in AA and society as a whole.