It was 39 is fine for Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Gateway Group, which marked one year short of four decades of meetings at a school near Regal cinema in Colaba, South Mumbai, on May 8. The NA is a fellowship of men and women for whom drugs were a major problem. They are recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. The only requirement for membership is the desire to stop using drugs.

“We have come such a long way since our first meeting here on May 1, 1987. Many in the audience today may not have been born during that year. Some may recall those first meetings. The point is that one is always a recovering addict. One is never a fully recovered addict. That is why these meetings are a valuable resource for support and sharing,” said  an organiser.