Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has always realised the importance of people being able to contact them quickly, and gain quick and reliable information about the time and place of meetings, as well as more general information.
Having a so-called hotline has always been an important element of AA’s ability to respond to people’s needs whenever possible.
Alcoholics Anonymous hotline / phone number
Until relatively recently, the only way to contact AA was either by telephone or mail. Technical advances have allowed people to access AA by e-mail, chat, whatsapp etc, but many people still prefer the immediacy and certainty of a phone call.
AA has a central office in New York, which also serves as a central office for most of the world. Its phone number is (US) 212-870-3400, and it is generally manned during office hours. It can provide information about AA generally to the public , as well as provide specific help regarding public information, and local contacts for people wanting help.
Local AA phone numbers
AA operates in most towns and cities and small communities in North America, and will almost always have a local number that people seeking help with their drinking can ring. This number can be found through the main AA website that details local area offices, or simply to doing a search online for the nearest town plus AA meetings.
Having an AA hotline has a number of significant advantages people looking to help their drinking. Most phone numbers will operate long hours hours, sometimes 24/7, and will have local information about meetings that is current and up to date.
A local contact will also be able to talk to the individual about alcoholism, AA meetings and what happens in them and afterwards, and can offer a degree of personal support and contact that can often be very reassuring.
A local contact may well be able to take someone to the first meeting, or arrange to meet them there, and will often spend time afterwards, helping them understand the process of a and being a general level of support.
Local phone numbers for AA contacts are also often found in numerous different areas of local communities, such as doctors offices, libraries, supermarkets, telephone boxes, local papers etc.
In fact anywhere there is a notice board where public information can be displayed there is likely to be a small poster with information about how to contact the local AA office.
People also use a local AA phone number or hotline for information about AA generally.
This is often related to someone else’s drinking, local media outlets wanting information about AA, and professionals, such as doctors or probation officers seeking guidance or advice regarding AA meetings.
Alcoholics Anonymous Hotline UK
The AA hotline or phone number in the UK is probably the second biggest english-speaking service office outside North America. It has a similar but smaller structure to the service office in North America. It has a hotline or phone number that can be accessed during normal office hours (UK) 0800 9177650 , and a website that details meetings and other ways to access AA.
It will also give access to local AA contacts, who will have phone numbers that can be contacted either 24/7 or for long periods of a day.
The service office hotline in UK can also give information about english speaking meetings in most of continental Europe, and, where appropriate details of local websites. These websites will often have local contact phone numbers, and details of meetings that should be more current and up-to-date.
AA Hotline – Australia.
Similarly, Australia has a similar structure, and will have a main service office whose phone number is (AUS) 1300-222-222, and a website where people can get information about how to contact local groups in Australia and New Zealand, as well, as general information regarding AA generally in the two countries.
Rest of the World
AA operates throughout most countries in the world, and either has local meetings or some type of personal contact. Phone numbers and contact details can be accessed by contacting the New York Central office as detailed above. Their website has details of central offices of all countries that have access to AA, both english-speaking and non-english-speaking.
