The Crystal Meth Anonymous Preamble
Crystal Meth Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other, so they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from addiction to crystal meth. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using. There are no dues or fees for CMA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. CMA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; and neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to lead a sober life and to carry the message of recovery to the crystal meth addict who still suffers.*
*Adapted with permission of the Grapevine of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Our Service Structure
The Bronx Zoomers Group (BXZ) - BronxZoomers.com
The Fourth Tradition states that each Crystal Meth Anonymous group shall be autonomous, except in matters affecting Crystal Meth Anonymous as a whole. The Bronx Zoomers Group is an autonomous group of Crystal Meth Anonymous but we participate in our local Intergroup by sending a Group Service Representative.. Our Group also makes a 7th Tradition contribution to our local intergroup and Crystal Meth Anonymous General Services.
New York Crystal Meth Anonymous Intergroup (NYCMA) - NYCMA.org
Our local intergroup is New York Crystal Meth Anonymous Intergroup otherwise know as "NYCMA". In addition to maintaining the meeting lists for all of New York City they: create CMA literature such as a newsletter and pamphlets; maintains the hotline; operates the NYCMA Website; keeps a clearinghouse of recovery literature and chips; provides information to hospitals and institutions; and represents NYCMA at the CMA General Service Organization, the worldwide Intergroup. To learn more about NYCMA and find other meetings in the New York City Area please visit their website at nycma.org.
Crystal Meth Anonymous General Services (CMA World) - CrystalMeth.org
Crystal Meth Anonymous. General Services has two primary purposes: to organize the General Service Conference; and convene the General Services Committee (GSC) to discuss issues within the Fellowship and implement recommendations from the Conference. Through its subcommittees, the GSC operates the website, publishes literature, encourages H&I activities, and responds to outside requests for information. Additionally, the subcommittees of the GSC provide services to members and groups, such as the distribution of chips and literature. To learn more about CMA World and the worldwide Fellowship of CMA please visit their website at crystalmeth.org.
Our Story
The Story of Crystal Meth Anonymous and the Bronx Zoomers Group
In 1994, Bill C., a recovering crystal meth addict 16 years sober in A.A. and the founding father of CMA, observed a growing number of other crystal meth addicts attending various twelve-step meetings in Los Angeles. Bill recalled that many of the secretaries of these meetings did not like the shares of the crystal meth addicts and were therefore reluctant to call on them in meetings. Bill maintained that there ought to be a place for these people to share.
Though the program of recovery as outlined in the Twelve Steps would clearly work for crystal meth addicts, the other meetings’ singleness of purpose meant that many who exclusively used crystal felt uncomfortable participating fully in these meetings and fellowships. Bill believed that these people would benefit from a special-purpose meeting for those recovering from addiction to crystal meth.
From this idea the fellowship of Crystal Meth Anonymous was born.
Attended by 13 people, the first meeting of Crystal Meth Anonymous was held September 16th, 1994, at 9:45 pm at the West Hollywood Alcohol and Drug Center in West Hollywood, California. The speaker at that meeting was Don N. (who, by no coincidence, returned as the keynote speaker fourteen years later in 2008 at CMA’s first General Services Conference at Park City, Utah ). Many of those original members who attended that first meeting–Nina, Eli, Pete S., Michael, Rick and others–stayed clean and sober, remaining active in the fellowship for life. Members of that meeting quickly started other meetings, and within a few months there were meetings daily in Los Angeles.
The early CMA meetings based their readings and program of recovery on that of AA and also of NA. Members of the fellowship worked the Steps, referring to literature and materials borrowed from AA, NA, and CA. To this day such diversity has endured in the fellowship nationwide, as members refer to the experience embodied in the literature of other fellowships for guidance on working their program of recovery.
Members of CMA in Los Angeles helped start meetings in San Francisco and San Diego. Meetings also sprang up in Salt Lake City, New York City and Phoenix in 1998. By 2001, CMA meetings had begun in Atlanta, Georgia, and soon thereafter meetings followed in many other parts of the country.
In the Summer of 2019, members of the Harlem Renaissance Group in New York City who lived in The Bronx started looking for a meeting space to start a new beginners meeting because more and more newcomers to CMA were coming from The Bronx, most being people of color, who did not feel welcome in many of the meetings in Manhattan. As the months progressed, the members could not find a meeting space that was centrally located to all of The Bronx. In late February, a space was found but on March 9, 2020 the State of New York closed all public spaces due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
As many in-person groups struggled to meet, the founding members of the Bronx Group decided to take the meeting online. Juan Carlos A., Rob V., and Rue P. worked together on a script adapted from the Atlantic Group of A.A.
The first Bronx Beginners Meeting was held on Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 9:00a Eastern on Zoom, making The Bronx Zoomers Group, the first group of Crystal Meth Anonymous to be founded entirely online. That first meeting was attended by Blair B., Carlos J., Chris Caz., Fabrice M., Juan Carlos A., Raul R., Rob C., Ron R., Rob V., and Rue P.
Steven C. from Jamestown, New York was the first speaker, celebrating his 10th Anniversary. After the meeting, the first service team was elected. Rue P. served as Meeting Chair, Raul R. served as Meeting Secretary, and Steven C. served as Meeting Treasurer.
As the Bronx Beginners Group grew, five new weekday meetings were added in August of 2020 and a group level service committee made up of a Group Chair, Group Secretary, Group Treasurer and Group Service Representative to NYCMA was established based on the service structure of A.A.'s Atlantic Group.
The weekday meeting, Bronx Breakfast Club started on Monday, August 3, 2020, followed by the addition of Midnite Boogie Down on Friday, November 6, 2020.
At the peak of the pandemic, the meetings had 40-60 people in attendance at every meeting.
The first Share-A-Thon in Crystal Meth Anonymous was presented by The Bronx Zoomers Group on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2020. The Share-A-Thon had 16 back-to-back meetings lasting 17 hours. The Share-A-Thon was repeated on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day to provide a space for newcomers and struggling crystal meth addicts during the holidays. The Share-A-Thons have become a Bronx Zoomers Group tradition every Holiday Season since.
On March 5, 2021 the Midnite Boogie Down Meeting ended due to low attendance. On April 3, 2021 the Bronx Zoomers Group became a daily meeting with the start of a new Alcoholics Anonymous book study speaker meeting called BXZ by the Book.
In September of 2021 the Garden State Variety meeting from the New Jersey CMA fellowship was absorbed by the Bronx Zoomers Group; that meeting ended in January of 2023. The HUMPED: Another Day Sober Sex, Intimacy, and Relationships topic meeting and the Mediation Meeting started in June of 2022, the Meditation Meeting closed in January 2023 due to low attendance.
The first Monthly Group Anniversary Meeting was held on March 4, 2023.
The Bronx Zoomers Group believes that Service is the first foundation we build in our program of Recovery. At the first business meeting, the founding members agreed that there should be no sobriety requirements for the trusted servants out of the belief that service keeps us sober. This commitment to service and allowing everyone the opportunity to find their recovery through service is a fundamental truth of the group. The group maintains this by allowing all group members an equal opportunity to do service at the meeting level and participate in the group’s business and committee meetings.
The first Group Anniversary Celebration was held on April 1, 2023, celebrating the third anniversary of the first meeting of The Bronx Zoomers Group.
The Bronx Zoomers Group continues to meet every day for eight meetings a week to this day.