MY NAME IS MICHAELAND I'M AN ALCOHOLIC.

HI MICHAEL.HI MICHAEL.

AS MOST OF YOU KNOW

I ONCE LOST MY JOB AND MY FAMILYBECAUSE OF MY DRINKING.

BUT WITH THE HELP OF A-A I'VEBEEN SOBER FOR TEN YEARS NOW.

ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING THEY WANTTO TELL THE GROUP FOR STARTERS ?

MY NAME'S BILLAND I'M AN ALCOHOLIC.

HI, BILL.HI, BILL.

HI, BILL.

I'VE BEEN USINGTHE TWELVE STEP PROGRAM

FOR ABOUTTWO MONTHS NOW AND...

I'M REALLY TURNINGMY LIFE AROUND.

NO MORE BLOWING GUYSON COLFAX AVENUE

FOR A PINT OF VODKAFOR THIS COWBOY !

THAT'S GREAT.

AND I UNDERSTAND THIS ISSOMEBODY'S FIRST A-A MEETING.

IS THAT RIGHT ?

YES, YOU SIR, STAND ON UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.

UH, MY NAME'S RANDY AND...

I JUST REALLYLIKE BEER.

YOU HAVE TO ADMITYOU'RE AN ALCOHOLIC.

BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I'MREALLY AN ALCOHOLIC.

THEN WHY AREYOU HERE ?

BECAUSE I GOT A D-U-IAND SO I'M REQUIRED

TO ATTEND A-A MEETINGSFOR TWO WEEKS.

I WAS STUPID ONE NIGHTAND DRANK TOO MUCH

AND THEN DROVE A CAR.

THAT WAS DUMB AND I'MNOT GOING TO DO IT AGAIN.

RANDY, YOU ARE POWERLESSTO MAKE THAT DECISION !

THE ONLY THING THAT WORKSIS THE TWELVE-STEP PROGRAM.

STEP ONE IS ADMITTINGTHAT YOU ARE POWERLESS

TO CONTROL YOUR DRINKING.

ONLY THEN CAN YOU MOVE ONTO THE OTHER TWELVE STEPS

LIKE BELIEVING THAT ONLYA HIGHER POWER, GOD,

MAKES YOU STOP DRINKING.

AND THEN, TURNING YOUR LIFEOVER TO THAT GOD

AND HUMBLY ASKING GODTO REMOVE YOUR WEAKNESS--

WAIT, WAIT, HOLD ON.

I NEVER KNEW THATALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

WAS A RELIGIOUS THING .

IT'S NOT RELIGIOUS,YOU JUST HAVE TO ADMIT

THERE IS SOME KIND OF GODWHICH HAS POWER OVER YOU

AND TURN YOUR LIFE OVERTO THAT GOD

AND ASK HIMFOR FORGIVENESS.

THAT'S THE TWELVE STEP PROGRAM,NOT RELIGION.

LOOK, I... I REALLY JUST NEED TOCUT DOWN ON MY DRINKING,

AND NEVER DRIVE A CARDRUNK AGAIN.

YOU CAN'T JUST CUT DOWNON YOUR DRINKING, RANDY !

YOU NEED TOKNOW SOMETHING...

YOU HAVE A DISEASE.

A... A DISEASE ?

THAT'S RIGHT.

ALCOHOLISMIS A DISEASE.

YOU'RE SICK, RANDY.

YOU'RE VERY,VERY SICK.

AND JUST LIKEWITH MOST DISEASES

YOU CAN'TCURE IT YOURSELF

AND IT'S DEADLY.

OH MY GOD... !