Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) Meetings

General Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) Meeting Information

Meetings for Nicotine Anonymous and are most often held in public places like churches, community centers, club houses and parks. During the COVID pandemic, many of your local AA meetings are still being held on the same day and time as before, but have transitioned to an online platform like Zoom. While NicA groups do not affiliate themselves with any particular religion, they are spiritual in nature, with a goal of being a safe place for people to find support and recovery using the 12 Steps as adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous to achieve abstinence from nicotine and live nicotine free lives.

Types of Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) Meetings

Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) meetings often follow various formats including:

• Discussion/Topic NICA Meetings: Possibly the most common meeting format, the chairperson or leader of the meeting will choose a topic to discuss during the meeting. These meetings may be open or closed.
• Beginner NICA Meetings: These meetings are led by a veteran member who has been Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) for a long period of time and may follow a variety of formats (discussion, topic, book, literature, step, etc.), while focusing on the first three of the 12 Steps of Nicotine Anonymous (NicA), or it may be more of a question-and-answer type format.
• Speaker NICA Meetings: NICA members who have been sober for a minimum period of time may be chosen beforehand to share their past experiences and how working through “The Program,” as NICA’s 12 Steps and Traditions may be referred to, has helped them get to where they are today. These NICA meetings are often open to the public, many are recorded, so you can listen to your favorite Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) Speakers any time you want.
• Book, Step, Tradition or Literature NICA Meetings: A reading from various NICA Literature is read, shared on and worked through during the meeting. These NICA meetings are usually held in a rotation as the NICA Steps, Traditions, Book or Literature are worked through. Individuals may use workbooks and texts during the NICA meeting or for homework assignments.

People can attend as many Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) meetings as the want and are often encouraged to attend a number of meetings until they find a meeting or set of meetings they like and that have people attending who they can relate to. People are encouraged to find a NICA home group which they attend regularly. This is usually a meeting you relate to, that has people who are benefiting from the meeting and Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) program. They generally take a commitment at their NICA home group and hold themselves and others accountable for attending.

How is a Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) Meeting Conducted?

Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) membership is open to anyone who suffers from addiction, identifies as an addict, and/or has a desire to stop using. People do not have to do anything prior to attending an NICA meeting; they can just show up. Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) meeting attendance is kept confidential, and individuals are welcome to attend as many different Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) meetings as they desire. Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) meetings are typically an hour, but there are also many longer meetings and some shorter in duration.

Typical Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) Meeting Format

Individual Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) groups may differ slightly in the way they run Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) meetings, but in general, a typical format for an NICA meeting is as follows:

• Welcome and opening
• Moment of silence and recitation of the Serenity Prayer
• Explanation of 12-Steps, expectation of confidentiality, and reiteration of openness to all and no cost for membership
• Reading from the Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) Literature
• Introductions around the room (first NicAme only, though no one is required to speak)
• Introduction of the speaker or facilitator of the meeting
• Discussion
• Announcements
• Passing of the collection plate, donations are not required although this is how the AA group sustains itself
• Closing, most likely with a Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) reading and a closing prayer

As Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) meetings are meant to be a fellowship, there is also often coffee and refreshments at some point either before, during, or after the NICA meeting for networking and socializing. NICA members may choose to volunteer at NICA meetings as coffee makers, greeters, literature distributor, or they can get more involved volunteering as the NICA group’s secretary, NICA treasurer, NICA chairperson, etc.

Those who have been in Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) for a long period of time may become a “sponsor” for newer NICA members. A sponsor is a more veteran member of the NICA group, who has gone through the same difficulty you may be facing, has taken the 12-steps of the NICA program, knows the literature and will guide you through the 12 steps of Nicotine Anonymous to help with your success. NICA sponsors also offer encouragement around the clock, helping to provide in-the-moment support and guidance when needed, and introduce you to other Recovery Resources. NICA sponsors are often available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, usually by phone, to help sponsees get through potentially difficult situations, temptations, or triggering events. NICA sponsors may meet or check-in with their sponsees regularly, and lifelong relationships may be formed.

Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) groups are safe environments, where individuals are surrounded by others with the same goal of achieving abstinence from nicotine and live nicotine free lives. These Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) meetings can provide individuals with a network of peers who can understand and empathize with each other in ways that others who are not in Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) may not be able to as easily.

The Recovery HQ Team is here to help you!

It’s important to know that you and your loved one are not alone in your fight for sobriety. Whether you choose to go to Nicotine Anonymous (NicA) meetings, take up meditation or yoga or use other resources, taking the first step toward regaining your life has begun. Contact our dedicated team and we will help find the solution which best fits your needs.