1. Our common welfare should come first; personal recovery depends upon CDA unity.
2. For our group purpose, there is but one ultimate authority--a loving God as he may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern.
3. The only requirement for CDA membership is a desire to abstain from all mood changing and mind altering chemicals; including all street type drugs, alcohol and unnecessary medications.
4. Each group should be autonomous except in matters affecting other groups of CDA as a whole.
5. Each group has but one primary purpose – to carry its message to the chemically dependent who still suffers.
6. A CDA group ought never endorse, finance or lend the CDA name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every CDA group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.
8. CDA should remain forever nonprofessional, but our service centers may employ special workers.
9. CDA, as such, ought never be organized; but we may create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
10. CDA has no opinion on outside issues; hence the CDA name ought never be drawn into public controversy.
11. Our public relations policy is based on attraction rather than promotion; we need always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press, radio and films.
12. Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions, ever reminding us to place principles before personalities.
