Young People's AA Meetings

You can be young and still belong in A.A. Young people's groups are on local meeting lists. Any A.A. meeting can welcome you. You can just listen.

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Key takeaway

If you drink like it is killing you and everyone in the room looks older, you can still belong. A.A. says alcoholism hits people of all ages, and many areas have young people's groups. You can also walk into any meeting. Tonight, find one listing and sit down. You do not have to talk or pay.

Last updated: Mon Oct 05 2026 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

You walked in, or you almost did, and everyone looked forty. Or you never walked in, because you are sure A.A. is for people who have already lost a house, and you are still on someone's couch telling yourself it is just how your friends drink. If the drinking is hurting you, the age in the room is not the question. The question is whether you want to stop.

A.A.'s pamphlet Young People in A.A. says the illness strikes people of all ages. It says you can be 16 or 60. It takes on the myth that this is only for older people. The current pamphlet is General Service Conference-approved, and the page on aa.org says it includes seven new stories by young members, shaped with help from young people at YPAA events. Those stories are there so you can hear someone your age. They are not a meeting list, and a story count is not a schedule.

How to find the meeting

Many communities have young people's groups. The pamphlet says you find them on the local meeting list, or by asking other young members. A.A.'s website does not keep that list. It sends you to your local office through Find A.A. Near You. The free Meeting Guide app pulls listings from local A.A. offices. You can also search the meetings on this site and confirm the time, because listings change.

YPAA, in the pamphlet, means Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous. Young people's conferences happen in the United States, Canada, and around the world. For those, the pamphlet says to ask your area or intergroup, or search the name. A conference is a weekend with a lot of young people in A.A. It is not a substitute for a home group on a Wednesday. If you need a room tonight, take the ordinary meeting.

If there is no young people's listing near you, go anyway. The pamphlet says young people are welcome at all kinds of A.A. meetings. Beginner meetings are a format, not an age. The beginner guide explains that label. The first meeting guide is the doorway if the walk from the car is the hard part.

What you are allowed to do when you get there

Sit. Listen. Leave your camera off if it is online and that helps. A.A.'s newcomer page says sharing is up to you, and you do not pay to attend. There are no dues or fees. Tradition Three says the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking.

Open meetings, the pamphlet says, are for anyone interested, alcoholic or not. Closed meetings are for people who have a drinking problem or think they might. If a parent or a friend wants to sit with you, choose an open meeting. The open and closed guide is the longer version of that difference.

You can say, "I'm just listening." You can also say you are young and you do not know if you belong. People have heard that before. They will not make you prove you have suffered enough.

If the problem is medical

A meeting will not manage withdrawal. NIAAA says that if you have been drinking heavily for a prolonged time, stopping suddenly can be life-threatening, and doctors can make it safer. Call 911 if you are seizing, badly confused, or cannot breathe. Call or text 988 if you are in a mental health crisis. Then, when you are safe, come back to a meeting. Call or text (800) 653-9376 if you need help finding a treatment program. The call is free to you.

Additional Resources

Sources cited on this page:

Common Questions

Am I too young for A.A.?

A.A.'s pamphlet Young People in A.A. says the illness strikes people of all ages, and that anyone who wants to stop drinking can find help there. It says it does not matter whether you are 16 or 60. The only requirement for membership, in Tradition Three, is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees. You do not have to wait until you look like the people on a poster.

What is a young people's meeting?

The pamphlet says many communities have young people's groups, listed on the local meeting list or found by asking other young members. They are still A.A. meetings. The point is that you can hear people your age stay sober a day at a time. If your town does not have one, a regular meeting is still a place you are allowed to be. Young people are welcome at all of them.

What does YPAA mean, and is there a national calendar?

The pamphlet uses YPAA for Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous and says young people's conferences are held in the United States, Canada, and around the world. It tells you to ask your local area or intergroup, or to search that name. A.A.'s website does not keep the conference calendar or the local meeting list. The Young People pamphlet page says the current pamphlet has seven new stories from young members and is Conference-approved. Stories are not a schedule.

Do I have to speak, and can a parent come?

You can just sit and listen. A.A.'s newcomer page says that, and that you do not pay. The pamphlet says open meetings are for anyone interested, whether they are an alcoholic or not. Closed meetings are for people who have a drinking problem or think they might. If a parent wants to observe, look for an open meeting. If you want a room where you can ask questions without guests, look for a closed one.

What if I need a doctor, not only a meeting?

If you have been drinking heavily for a long time, NIAAA says stopping suddenly can cause life-threatening withdrawal. That is a medical problem at any age. Call 911 for a seizure, confusion you cannot think through, or trouble breathing. Call or text 988 in a mental health crisis. A meeting is for the drinking problem after you are safe. [FindTreatment.gov](https://findtreatment.gov/) lists licensed care, and you can call or text (800) 653-9376 for help finding a program.