Cancún, Quintana Roo — More than 70% of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) members in four municipalities of Quintana Roo have maintained sobriety for over six years, according to the organization’s latest statistics. The data shows that 75% of members have been sober for more than six years, while 21% have overcome the disease for over two decades.
Alberto N., the group’s delegate in the state, noted that June 10 marks the 91st anniversary of AA worldwide. “The Mexican Central Office of Alcoholics Anonymous in the state aims to strengthen access to information as a key tool for preventing alcoholism,” he said.
The area covering the municipalities of Benito Juárez, Puerto Morelos, Isla Mujeres, and Lázaro Cárdenas has 106 groups, of which more than 70% hold 90-minute sessions every day of the year. In addition to public meetings, AA also operates in state prisons (Ceresos), providing follow-up for incarcerated men and women.
Nationally, Mexico has over 14,000 AA groups with more than 108,000 members. Worldwide, there are approximately 2 million members in 125,000 groups across 180 countries. Over time, more than 40 million copies of AA literature have been distributed in 70 languages.
According to the group’s latest survey, 59% of groups were founded more than 16 years ago, and 52% meet five to seven days a week. Among members, 66% are married, 21% are single, and 9% are divorced.
Although AA does not conduct specific studies on alcohol consumption during events, it has reported that during the World Cup, alcohol consumption in homes and entertainment venues rises between 2.5% and 10%, while spending on drinks can increase by up to 48%. Per-person consumption in bars can double during key matches.
