"An A. A. group ought never endorse, finance, or lend the A. A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
A. A. does not sell sobriety. No endorsements are sought. Many treatment centers and recovery groups have used A. A. as the model for treating many addictions. I'm sure that if A. A. had wanted to do so, they could have made immeasurable amounts of money licensing the twelve steps, but that would have brought conflicts of interest.
Money would have become the primary purpose for the existence of A. A. The purpose would move away from carrying the message. Instead of sobriety, the "bottom line" would become the focus. Many people would be left without a way of getting sober because of the A. A. need to turn a profit.
I am grateful that the founding fathers and mothers had the wisdom in not allowing A. A. to "go public".
Tradition Seven |
