The earliest known meeting in this area was started in December of 1981 by Scott A., and it was held at a counseling center on Walnut Street in Johnson City. Next, the Hugs Not Drugs group formed, also in Johnson City. Then, Living Through Giving started in Kingsport. As membership grew the need to develop service structure arose. In July of 1985 Chris W., Keith F. and George F. of Johnson City met with Sam C. and Curtis H. of Kingsport at the Laurels picnic area in the woods of Carter County to form the Upper East Tennessee Area of Narcotics Anonymous joining the Volunteer Region. This historic gathering is commemorated and celebrated annually as the “Woods Party” at the same Laurels picnic area.
Meetings also began forming in Abingdon and Norton, Virginia. By 1988 the groups from southwestern Virginia had chosen to unite with the Tennessee groups. To reflect the inclusion of the Virginia groups, the name of the area was changed to the Mountain Area of Narcotics Anonymous. Other groups were forming: Clean County of Greeneville; Running Free in Bristol; and the Just for Today group of Elizabethton.
In 1995 the Additional Needs Awareness Weekend, a gathering for physically challenged recovering addicts, was held here. The first Mountain Area convention took place in August of 1996 at the Lynn Garden Drive Holiday Inn in Kingsport. Then, in 1988, Johnson City hosted the Volunteer Regional Convention. Recovering addicts from all over the southeastern US gathered here. The next few years saw tremendous growth for Narcotics Anonymous in the area. Just recently in October of 2025 the Mountain Area convention was resurrected as Unity in the Mountains.
Narcotics Anonymous continues to grow here in the Mountain Area. Even in the midst of COVID-19 our meetings have survived and flourished. We support over 30 meetings per week in a geographical zone that spans from Marion, VA to Jefferson City, TN. Our Hospitals and Institutions subcommittee holds meetings in 10 facilities with requests for more coming in each month. If you are part the Mountain Area NA history, thank you for your service! If you are new, let’s make some history!
