Pandemic stress upped the death toll 25 percent, but don’t despair, AA is there!

Gee, if you ever needed a reason to join Alcoholics Anonymous, this headline is it. Personally, I’d rather admit I have a problem, ask for help and attend meetings/work the 12 Steps than be a corpse.

Just imagine the death toll number had there not been Zoom AA meetings during this pandemic? I know I relied on them, and I’ve been sober since 1987. AA is amazing. Case in point: I was unable to make my usual meetings for 12 days. Last night, I hit an Uptown Club online meeting and told my wife afterwards, “There’s nothing like hitting a meeting after missing them a while and realizing all over again how much I love AA.”

Any why not. AA saved my life. But more than that, AA made my life the mostly great ride it has been. There were quite a few new people and relapsed folks attending last night’s meeting, and no doubt other meetings around the country. I bet a few of these folks would have been counted in the next booze death toll had the hand of AA not been there to help them saves themselves.

I’m proud that AA, which was founded nearly a century ago when computers and the internet weren’t even dreamed of, has adapted to this pandemic and used technology to help save countless lives.

After last night’s meeting ended, I repeated one of my favorite AA mantras, “Meeting makers make it,” which elicited a heartfelt amen from one attendee. In 100 years, this one AA truism hasn’t changed, and it won’t in another 1,000 years.