12-Step Coercion Watch is a discussion list for those concerned about the violations of religious liberty that are occurring throughout the world where people are being coerced into the 12-Step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous and its many offshoots such as Narcotics Anonymous. In the United States alone more than a million people each year are forced into these programs by courts, licensing boards, and government employers.

Three federal circuit courts (Second, Seventh and Ninth Circuits) and two state supreme courts (Tennessee and New York) have ruled this practice to be in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, yet the coercion continues throughout the country and also in other countries.

The discussions will focus on planning and initiating organizational efforts to end 12-Step coercion worldwide. The primary focus will be, but not be limited to, legal challenges in the courts. This may include, but not be limited to, advising those now being coerced that this coercion is unconstitutional, encouraging them to file suit, and finding legal assistance for them.

We encourage lawyers and laypersons alike to participate in this group and hope that a Supreme Court decision will eventually lead to the end of 12-step coercion in the U.S. We also would like to hear from those from other countries where coercion exists so together we can work to end 12-step coercion worldwide once and for all.