I have a different take on 12-step programs than Mr. Kowalski (“Be smart about drug policy,” Our Readers’ Views, Oct. 4).
In rare occasions a judge might sentence a DUI case to Alcoholics Anonymous. Would he do that if he felt the program didn’t work? Columbian advice columnist Annie Lane often recommends AA or Al-Anon (those bothered by someone else’s drinking) to go to those 12-step meetings. Would she do that if she thought they didn’t work?
People go to 12-step programs because they choose to. They aren’t forced to go. Many who aren’t attending could benefit by being involved. Twelve-step programs are spiritual, not religious. They talk about embracing a higher power, something greater than yourself.
These and other 12-step programs have existed for decades and they work. There are millions of sober alcoholics, and those bothered by someone’s else’s drinking or drug use that attribute their success to 12-step work.
