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| | Alcoholics Anonymous - MSN Encarta |
 | | The A.A. program prescribes total abstinence, encouraging members to stay away from alcohol “one day at a time.” The first task for a new member is to admit that he or she has a drinking problem. |
 | | To do this, the person stands up during a meeting, states his or her name, and proclaims, “I am an alcoholic.” Members are encouraged to share their experiences and learn to rely on each other to develop the strength to break their addiction to alcohol. |
 | | Among the Twelve Steps, members are encouraged to admit they are “powerless over alcohol,” to surrender their lives to “the care of God,” to identify things they have done wrong and make amends with people they may have harmed, and to share the message of sobriety with other alcoholics. |
| encarta.msn.com /encyclopedia_761566959/Alcoholics_Anonymous.html (786 words) |
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