Alcoholics Anonymous (
AA) is an international mutual aid fellowship founded in 1935 (two years after the end of
Prohibition in the United States in December 1933) by
Bill Wilson and
Dr. Bob Smith in
Akron, Ohio. AA stated "primary purpose" is to help
alcoholics "stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve
sobriety". With other early members Bill Wilson and Bob Smith developed AA's
Twelve Step program of spiritual and character development. AA's initial
Twelve Traditions were introduced in 1946 to help the fellowship be stable and unified while disengaged from "outside issues" and influences.