Even though the origins and strategies of Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are closely intertwined with those of ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (AA), NA has devised its own unique adaptations to them. There is no question that NA's roots were in the AA program, but it soon came to realize its uniqueness and had to give AA's program its own "spin." Briefly sketched—an energetic, relatively new AA member, while doing twelve-stepwork in 1944, recruited an alcoholic who was also an abuser of MORPHINE (he used this drug to avoid hangovers). The AA program helped the recruit with alcohol, but not with morphine. He soon found himself an involuntary patient in the U.S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE HOSPITAL in Lexington, Kentucky.

In the meantime, his AA sponsor, who was much puzzled by AA's help with alcohol but not other drugs, was transferred to Frankfort, Kentucky, near the Lexington Hospital...