Narcotics Anonymous sprang from the Alcoholics Anonymous Program of the late 1940s, with meetings first emerging in the Los Angeles area of California, USA, in the early Fifties. The NA program started as a small US movement that has grown into one of the world's oldest and largest organizations of its type.

For many years, NA grew very slowly, spreading from Los Angeles to other major North American cities and Australia in the early 1970s. In 1983, Narcotics Anonymous published its self-titled Basic Text book, which contributed to tremendous growth. Within a few years, groups had formed in Brazil, Colombia, Germany, India, the Irish Republic, Japan, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Today, Narcotics Anonymous is well established throughout much of the Americas, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Newly formed groups and NA communities are now scattered throughout the Indian subcontinent, Africa, East Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Narcotics Anonymous books and information pamphlets are currently available in 44 languages, with translations in process for 16 languages

Narcotics Anonymous in Israel

The first NA group started in Tel-Aviv in 1984. at first there was only one meeting a week and then one meeting added to the other until there was a meeting every day. little by little by common efforts, NA books were translated unto hebrew. After a number of years, a new group was started in Jaffa and the growing process had started. We have closed meetings for addicts only or those who think they might have a drugs problem, and open meetings in which anyone can take part.

Nowdays the Israel NA community is established and stable. Our meeting list includes approximately 300 meetings a week all over the country, in more than 30 cities. There are also NA meetings in treatments centers and in the most prisons In the country.