Xanax

[Theo50]

Maybe we should all come back to our primary purpose! Stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety. Smoking or non smoking should really not be the topic in a Newcomer meeting/Forum, as AA shouldn't have any opinion on outside issues.
There was even a little story in the BB about the wife nagging about the smoking/coffee habit that much that her husband went to drink again. Especially as member of the AA fellowship I try to avoid such controversy.

Love you all!

Thomas

If that is the case, shouldn't that have been the initial response to the original post? Should that be the response to any topic that discusses a substance (legal or not legal)?

These are discussion forums which inherently as designed promote discussion. If the topic is not relevant to the particular discussion forum, it should be moved by the moderator(s).

[Brock]

If that is the case, shouldn't that have been the initial response to the original post? Should that be the response to any topic that discusses a substance (legal or not legal)?

I think the original subject was one of interest to newcomers and others, since medications and following doctors' orders are mentioned in AA literature it can be useful to have these discussed. Also, forums like these are very useful as an avenue for new members to ask if their sponsor's instructions make sense, they can’t ask other members at the homegroup, because those people would be wary of ill speaking the advice of someone from their own group.

And while one or two folks feel we shouldn’t discuss the merits or demerits of what some sponsors tell their sponsees, perhaps if they stayed here a bit longer, they would see some of the absolute nonsense some sponsors advise newcomers, and may then see the need for us to advise the person according to AA literature.

As Strue said - “Smoking or nonsmoking should really not be the topic in a Newcomer meeting/Forum, as AA shouldn't have any opinion on outside issues.” That is where this thread really went sideways, moderators don’t like to get involved unless really necessary.

[Theo50]

If that is the case, shouldn't that have been the initial response to the original post? Should that be the response to any topic that discusses a substance (legal or not legal)?

I think the original subject was one of interest to newcomers and others, since medications and following doctors' orders are mentioned in AA literature it can be useful to have these discussed. Also, forums like these are very useful as an avenue for new members to ask if their sponsor's instructions make sense, they can’t ask other members at the homegroup, because those people would be wary of ill speaking the advice of someone from their own group.

And while one or two folks feel we shouldn’t discuss the merits or demerits of what some sponsors tell their sponsees, perhaps if they stayed here a bit longer, they would see some of the absolute nonsense some sponsors advise newcomers, and may then see the need for us to advise the person according to AA literature.

As Strue said - “Smoking or nonsmoking should really not be the topic in a Newcomer meeting/Forum, as n outside issues.” That is where this thread really went sideways, moderators don’t like to get involved unless really necessary.

The original post was directly related to smoking. How did discussing smoking turn the thread sideways if the initial issue was regarding quitting smoking? If AA shouldn't have any opinion on outside issues, why should Xanax use be a topic that can be discussed but not smoking?

I’ve been sober for almost 5 months. I wanted to quit smoking and took half a Xanax to help me with the mood swing from Nicotine, I’m in quarantine in Italy also. My sponsor told me to stop the Xanax and keep smoking. I did. but that also I’ve relapsed and need to start my sobriety date again. Is this true?

My posts have been regarding that it appears to be the Xanax that is the issue versus nicotine. The advice of a sponsor could have just as easily been that if the Xanax was taken under the advice of a physician to help the person with quitting a deadly habit that it is not in the sponsors purview to advise against it. I have not experienced any physician that condones smoking. The only nicotine taken under the advice of a physician that I am aware of would be prescribed as a to means to quit smoking.

They should both be responded to equally as they are both potential addictive mind altering substances. From my observations over the past 4 years as an AA member, nicotine use and addiction gets a pass while other substances get discussed extremely negatively. In my observations, the majority of AA members considered is ok to use smoking as a means to help one curb their alcohol cravings and obsessions while other substances are not.

[Brock]

The original post was directly related to smoking. How did discussing smoking turn the thread sideways if the initial issue was regarding quitting smoking? If AA shouldn't have any opinion on outside issues, why should Xanax use be a topic that can be discussed but not smoking?

I’ve been sober for almost 5 months. I wanted to quit smoking and took half a Xanax to help me with the mood swing from Nicotine, I’m in quarantine in Italy also. My sponsor told me to stop the Xanax and keep smoking. I did. but that also I’ve relapsed and need to start my sobriety date again. Is this true?

You are trying to ‘bend’ the original post to suit your argument, smoking was mentioned, but the question was did the taking of Xanax warrant a change of sobriety date as her sponsor said it did.

AA has published pamphlets that cover the taking of this type of medication, it says that sedatives can have a similar effect as alcohol - P-11 - The A.A. Member-Medications & Other Drugs (aa.org) Such documentation makes this something which AA is concerned about, and therefore not entirely an outside issue.

When AA decides that the issue of smoking deserves publication of guidelines, then it might also be included in our discussion, and welcome you and others to discuss it. In the meantime, as suggested, can we please give cigarettes and other ‘outside issues’ a pass in this thread. You can open discussions on smoking them in another thread if you wish, perhaps in a section like ‘if it doesn't fit anywhere else,’ we don’t mind sort of outside issues in sections like that.

[1Peter5:10]

There are also gambling addicts, sex addicts, could've shoppers, horders etc. etc.

I honestly feel like I am reading the thoughts of someone who thinks he is the smartest person in the room.

The way I read it, your message says
1) "I am smarter than the AA old timers. I know they should have treated nicotine the same as they treat alcohol."
2) "I am smarter than any doctor. I did not even consult one. I am too smart to bother with prescriptions. I dimply decided I need to take a recreational substance and did not check with any of the world's stupid people "
3) "I am smarter than my sponsor that's why I kept
my intentions secret from him. I deceived him by pretending I was just gonna have a normal day, when I'm fact I self-prescribed recreational drugs got some on the black market and decided what size dose was right fort me."

What do so know? When I had 4 months sobriety just like I didn't hang out in bars, casinos, beer-B-cues or tailgating events, I also was not hanging in around with current drug dealers nor current drug users. I was told not to do those things l, so I did not do those things. I had already admitted that my solutions did not work.

Who are you directing this post too? The original post from Lila a year ago is as follows and they haven't posted again since.

I’ve been sober for almost 5 months. I wanted to quit smoking and took half a Xanax to help me with the mood swing from Nicotine, I’m in quarantine in Italy also. My sponsor told me to stop the Xanax and keep smoking. I did. but that also I’ve relapsed and need to start my sobriety date again. Is this true?

Regarding the the AA old timers and nicotine, there has been quite a lot of scientific evidence regarding this deadly substance since the 1930's. The FDA is just in the process of banning the last allowable flavor in cigarettes, menthol, in an attempt to reduce youth initiation of this deadly habit.
I don't even think there were any warning labels on cigarettes packages back in the 1930s. The FDA has been adding more and more warnings to the cigarette packages and is also in the process of adding even more "graphic" warnings on the labels. This information is easily available online for any that wish to view it. I think the "rationalization" and "justification" comments in the "marijuana" thread are just as applicable to cigarettes.

I certainly don't claim to be smarter than anyone here, I just wish that there was consistency between the AA members/ sponsors suggestions regarding other deadly substances. Whether that consistency is that the advice is that as an AA member/ sponsor, we don't give any advice on any substances other than alcohol or the advice is that any mind altering deadly substance, including nicotine, should be avoided.

Yeah I somehow confused you with the OP. My bad.

[cittasanto]

I’ve been sober for almost 5 months. I wanted to quit smoking and took half a Xanax to help me with the mood swing from Nicotine, I’m in quarantine in Italy also. My sponsor told me to stop the Xanax and keep smoking. I did. but that also I’ve relapsed and need to start my sobriety date again. Is this true?

Hi Lila,
was it used as prescribed?
your answer is there.
A.A. deals with Alcohol addiction, not other drugs, particularly properly used prescribed medication.
I personally don't see a problem with starting the process again, particularly if you used the medication improperly in some way. It is sometimes best to be safe than sorry.
Remember you asked your sponsor to be your sponsor, trust their judgement, so long as they aren't holding you back from doing the steps in a timely way.

Kind Regards
Cittasanto A.A.