Arid Club San Bernardino

Types of AA Meetings

Big Book: California AA meetings often feature the Big Book. This text features stories about how women and men overcame alcohol use disorder and is used to inspire clients to build resilience.

Closed: Closed AA meetings in California are not open to the general public. They are reserved for members and anyone who has a desire to stop drinking. Discussions are personal in nature and related to alcohol addiction recovery.

Discussion: AA discussion meetings in California help members share their thoughts and feelings on a specific topic related to alcoholism and recovery. A pre-determined speaker will open the meeting by sharing a topic from an AA text, such as the Big Book or AA Grapevine. After discussing the topic briefly, they will open the floor for others to speak.

Non-Smoking: AA groups may be non-smoking, meaning that members are not allowed to use tobacco products or vape during the meeting or on the facility’s grounds. These rules may be set by the group, the venue hosting the meeting, or local ordinances.