Yes, You Can Start An Online Area
Download Petition To Become An Area
NOTE: An Area seeking recognition by the World Service Conference must submit a completed petition to become and Area. If you cannot provide the information within the space provided, please attach separate documents or sheets as required.
1. Reason or need to become a World Service Conference approved Area: The Online Recovery Area provides an alternative Area service committee structure to online groups who want to create the fellowship they crave. The Online Recovery Area would provide not only that forum for like minded groups, but also to build an Area website that would attract suffering addicts online and direct those website visitors to Area’s member groups so that Groups can do what the Groups doe best and that is “Carry its message to the addict who still suffers” (Tradition Five). Moreover, the ratification of a new CA Online Area would signify to other online groups around the world that, “Yes, You Can” form a new online area and, thus offer a choice in a a diversity of Online Areas. Currently the Online Service Area (OSA) is the only online Area available for online groups who wish to be part of an online area service structure. We hope to expand one scope of the online C.A. community and offer another choice.
2. Are you a proposed Area in a State, Province or Country that has not been represented at the World Service Conference before? Yes
Name of State, Province or Country: Not Applicable
3. Proposed Area name: Online Recovery Area of Cocaine Anonymous
4. If applicable: Attach map of regional geographic division of Area as it now exists. Not Applicable for the Online Recovery Area (“The Conference may also recognize Areas whose boundaries do not fit a geographic description – WSM pg 26”)
5. Attach a map and a written description of the proposed division of areas. Not Applicable. The Online Recovery Area would be an Area whose boundaries do not fit a geographic description. Thus, there will not be a geographical division of Areas, per se, because the Areas function entirely online.
6. Total population in proposed Area: There are approximately 5.56 billion people with Internet access as of February 2025. This is around 72% of the world population. source: (https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide) WHO has estimated that in 2019, 400 million people lived with alcohol abuse disorders, and of these, 209 million people lived with alcohol dependency. source: (https://www.who.int/news/item/25-06-2024-over-3-million-annual-deaths-due-to- alcohol-and-drug-use-majority-among-men) According to Global drug use statistics & facts 39.5 million people around the world could be considered “problem drug users” or categorized as having a drug use disorder. (https://www.statista.com/topics/7786/global-drug-use/
CA population in proposed Area: Membership of the 12 Steps 4 Hours Workshop Group averages 2400 participants per year. TGIF & the Midnight Rounders average 35 to 40 members per week and has 251 registered members. The CA Service Sponsorship Group has 78 registered members with over 1000 participants who have participated in various workshop meetings hosted by the C.A. Service Sponsorship Group.
7. Number of CA Groups in proposed Area: (attach meeting schedule)
8. Attach a brief five year history of CA Groups and membership in the proposed Area.
9. Structure and function of proposed Area:
a) Proposed Area Service Committee meetings: Once every 3 months.
Frequency: 4 times per year (Jan, April, July, Oct)
Number in attendance:
b) Proposed Dist. Service Committee meetings:
Frequency:
Number in attendance:
c) No. of DSRs: )
Describe activities:
d) No. of GSRs:
Describe activities:
10. Distance and travel time to nearest current Area Service Committee meeting: Not Applicable.
11. How would the Fellowship benefit by establishing a new Area as opposed to adding more DSRs, creating a new district, or redistricting would accomplish?
12. If the proposed Area is in a State, Province, or Country which the Fellowship has not been previously established, have you investigated incorporating as a non-profit organization in order to protect the CA name?
13. If this Petition to Become an Area is approved, are you prepared to be responsible for all liabilities the fellowship may incur? Are you prepared to pay all applicable sales taxes and file all the necessary State and Federal tax forms as required? Yes
14. Note any comments or special considerations: