Hi everyone... I live in a recovery house/program and we have 2 NA meetings a week but I also goto AA about every day. Well, at first the whole NA meeting was optional but only 2-3 people would show up sometimes so the manager decided to make the meetings a mandatory part of the recovery program. I was against that idea because I feel people need options and alternatives. (maybe they want to goto AA or CR) So I spoke up and he said how about 1 mandatory NA meeting a week then? That sounded fine to me so I agreed but continued to attend both meetings and I don't think it was ever said which one was mandatory. That was a long time ago but now I feel I'm having the same issues with what's mandatory or optional. We voted and decided to join area and then motioned to extend the meeting to 90 minutes with a smoke break. I said I only wanted to vote if the smoke break would be optional and tried to get clarity on that issue but everyone voted before it was clear. (except me) So we just had our first 90 minute meeting and after 45 minutes, the meeting suddenly stopped as people left to go smoke. So I left to and got some copenhagen (I don't smoke) but then I did not feel like returning... It just felt like the meeting was over, what was the point? After the meeting, I talked to a couple of the newbies about it and they said they are in favor of the mandatory smoke break because they smoke. Even when I tried to explain an optional smoke break essentially means they could go out for a smoke anytime they felt like and smokers should like that better then being told when they can smoke. I felt like I was just expected to set there and do nothing but stare at the ceiling while I waited for these people to go smoke? Why does the meeting have to stop? Why can't the meeting continue on and if a person misses 5 minutes of it because they were out smoking, that's on them, that aint my problem. I feel like it would be exactly the same if someone walked up and asked me for the time, then as I'm looking at my watch and trying to tell them what time it is, they suddenly interrupt and say "Hold on, I got a phone call." (how rude) Then I talked to a smoker with more clean time and he said it made no difference to him if there was a break or not, if it's optional or the meeting stops for it, and could not understand why it matters to me... That's when it occurred to me, maybe I'm being a jackass... Anytime a nicotine urge hits, I just chew copenhagen and don't even have to go outside or miss any of the meeting. (I usually chew after the meeting but have done it during the meeting before) Ultimately, it's a recovery house so I'm going to do what management says and not complain to much... Yet they do care what I think and want to know when I'm having issues so I'm speaking up on this one and will point to this thread if I get any supportive feed back. So what I want to know.... -Should a 90 minute meeting have a smoke break? -Should the meeting stop for a smoke break? (mandatory)

-- Edited by MarkJ on Wednesday 28th of December 2011 02:09:21 AM