Alateen is a division of the Al-Anon Family Group. Its members typically are teenagers whose lives have been impacted by someone else's problem drinking. Roughly, 59 percent are age 14 or younger, while 26 percent are ages 15 to 16 and 15 percent are age 17 or more. The problem drinkers in their lives are predominantly one or both parents, but brothers and sisters are not uncommon.

The prevailing story about the origin of Alateen is quite straightforward. Legend has it that in 1957 a 17 year oldin California was attending ALCOHOL-ICS ANONYMOUS (AA) and AL-ANON meetings with his parents. His father hadjust gotten sober in AA and his mother was an active member of Al-Anon. Although the teenager decided that the Twelve Steps of AA were helping him, his mother suggested that instead of attending AA meetings he start a teenagedgroup and pattern it after Al-Anon. The young man foundfive other teenagedchildren of alcoholic parents and...