My experience is that a drug is a drug. Alcohol seems to be a different beast. When I drink I am affected in different ways than any dope I've done. I like AA because there is a singleness of purpose and we know that we cannot help any other type of addiction. If someone applies the steps to something other than alcohol, yay. I have tried to sponsor pure addicts and I really cannot relate to them. I believe that the chemicals physically change the brain or that the thinking process is different to begin with. It is easy to go deeply in to analysis on this or just let it be. Perhaps NA is trying to be too broad and inclusive to all. AA is "restrictive" and that is cool with me as I live today.