Searching for AA Deserts - A Case Study of Tucson, AZ in 2023 to Improve Meeting Area Coverage

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the location and frequency of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings within the greater Tucson area and determine where best to position new meetings. AA has a large impact on the well-being of those who are in sobriety – it is a form of fellowship that cannot be found in many other places. To accomplish this, meetings recorded for fall of 2023 will be examined, and a time series analysis will be done by looking at day of week and time of day, followed by a suitability analysis to determine how close new meetings should be to those already established. These analyses may also help in determining a network analysis for those who wish to travel to established meetings, as well as seeing if there are areas considered an ‘AA desert’, similar in concept to a food desert (areas that are lacking in resources to accommodate for food deficiencies or AA meetings). In doing several of these analyses, it is apparent that there is a greater need for meetings outside of working hours, e.g. early morning and late night, as well as a need for more outside of city limits but within metro areas.