Does Alcoholics Anonymous actually work?

Much of what we know about the effectiveness of AA has been generated by the fellowship itself, and this creates some obvious problems of bias, writes Ian Hamilton

There is also a darker side to AA that is rarely mentioned, namely how members can be exploited (Getty/iStockphoto)

There is an organisation that has been around longer than the Queen and is almost as popular, with millions of members worldwide. It is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).

The first UK meeting of AA can be traced back to March 1947 when it was held in a room of the Dorchester in London. Despite its place in our collective consciousness and the millions of people who have participated in AA, what do we actually know about how effective it is in supporting people from addiction to sobriety?

To answer that question, it’s worth summarising how AA works. Rather than being led by professionals, AA works on the basis of peer support. Those who have already been through the process help new members. Compared to specialist professional services, AA is very accessible, with meetings in most areas. Added to this is the “buddy” system, where new members are paired with an experienced peer to guide and support them on their journey to abstinence.