I started out my Better living thru chemicals with alcohol. At 17 the first time I ever touched alcohol I had a blackout. I social drank my way thru college. I guess I was a binge drinker, never touched the stuff much but when I did I would be on my way. When I was 25 I drank a bottle of wine daily thru the difficult first year of my stressful new job. I realized if I continued on this way I would be in trouble so at that time I just quit. I was not yet an addict or an alcoholic.
I had 20 years of nothing.. maybe a cocktail on a birthday, but nothing to speak of as alcohol literally made me feel sick, gave me a headache and a dried out dehydrated feeling. NOW 20 years later throw in a couple of surgeries in one year and I am a full blown addict. I don't think my disease got there that fast on pills. I think I was a fuse waiting for the match. I think personally I could have been maybe an alcoholic if I had kept at it.
I guess the point I am trying to make is I do understand the singleness of purpose but I also realize in this time and day that drugs are so prevalent that the makeup of the groups that attend AA or will be attending AA are not going to be pure alcoholics but people with chemical substance abuse. I can't see how AA can hold back the dam. I see it will be changing regardless of the original premise. Society has changed.
I also think in my heart of hearts that alcohol and drugs are the same disease with the same solution.