Lowell, Massachusetts NA Meetings

How NA Works in Lowell

NA is a free fellowship group that is open to anyone who wants to stop using drugs. NA programs don’t require dues, fees or an intake process. The only requirement for membership in Narcotics Anonymous is a desire to stop using.

The North East Massachusetts Area Service Committee covers Lowell, Massachusetts. This is part of the New England Region of NA. The September 2026 directory lists 46 meetings a week across the Merrimack Valley and the North Shore.

• NA region: New England Region of NA, phoneline 1-866-624-3578
• Local groups: Two in-person meetings in the same church in Pawtucketville
• Available: Open, speaker and discussion formats. Wheelchair accessible meetings are also available.

Meetings In and Around Lowell

Lowell’s population of over 100,000 offers two NA groups. Each of these groups meets in the same building on different evenings. This presents a practical question if one of those evenings doesn’t work for your schedule.

Both groups are open meetings. Anyone can attend open meetings, including partners, parents and friends, and people who are still working out whether NA is a good fit for them. Both of these groups are also marked wheelchair accessible. Both run a speaker and discussion format where one person shares and then people in the room talk.

You can use the finder when these meetings don’t fit your schedule. Search outward by distance rather than stopping at the city limits. The surrounding towns offer more NA group options.

Expect to find NA meetings in Tewksbury, Billerica and Burlington, which has a group listed for young people. Boston offers considerably more meetings and Cambridge adds virtual meetings you can join from Lowell.

You can check what is available by calling the New England Region phoneline at 1-866-624-3578. This helpline is answered around the clock. North East Massachusetts does not publish a separate area helpline. You can browse every city on the Massachusetts NA meetings page.

Both Lowell groups meet in Pawtucketville, near UMass Lowell’s north campus and a short distance across the river from downtown.

Substance Use in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has one of the steepest sustained falls in opioid deaths anywhere in the country for three consecutive years.

• 978 confirmed and estimated opioid-related overdose deaths among Massachusetts residents in 2025, the first year below 1,000 since 2013 and close to 60% under the 2022 record of 2,364.
• Three straight annual declines of roughly 10% in 2023, 36% in 2024 and an estimated 27% in 2025.

Statewide figures. Massachusetts no longer publishes a standalone city and town death table, so no Lowell-specific figure is available.

The state attributes the fall to a combination of a changing drug supply, far wider naloxone distribution and expanded access to treatment. Our Cambridge page has the closest thing to local data in this county, drawn from that city’s own health department reporting.

Getting Treatment In and Around Lowell

NA and clinical treatment work closely together rather than being a choice between two treatment strategies. You receive treatment on different levels. These care levels can begin with medically supervised withdrawal management where that is needed. After withdrawal management, your treatment plan may include residential, intensive outpatient and standard outpatient programs, with recovery support.

Methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone are the FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder and the standard of care. They reduce cravings and lower the risk of a fatal overdose. These drugs are fully compatible with attending NA. Both NA groups in Lowell welcome you whether you are taking treatment medication or not.

The Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline at 800-327-5050 is free, confidential and staffed 24 hours by call, text, or chat. They will connect you to programs with current openings, including in the Merrimack Valley.

The Boston Medical Center Addiction Warmline at 617-414-4175 offers rapid access to opioid use disorder medication, including bridge prescriptions and links to methadone. FindTreatment.gov searches licensed programs by ZIP code. Our guides to opiate detox and treatment options explain what is included in each level.

Naloxone Access in Massachusetts

Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose and is safe for a bystander to give. Naloxone is safe when you don’t know what drugs were taken. This medication doesn’t have an effect when opioids are not involved.

Massachusetts residents can order a free kit by mail through the state Department of Public Health via the Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline.  Every pharmacy licensed by the Massachusetts state Board of Pharmacy must keep it stocked without a prescription under the statewide standing order.

The state also offers syringe service programs offering naloxone, sterile supplies and testing at mass.gov/syringe-service-programs. State law gives limited protection from drug possession charges to anyone who seeks medical help in good faith at an overdose scene. The full access list is on our Cambridge page.

If You Need Help Immediately

If you or someone near you needs help right now

Call 911 for a suspected overdose. Give naloxone if you have it, then call, because its effects wear off before the opioids do.

• 911 suspected overdose or medical emergency
• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call or text, 24/7
• 833-773-2445 Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line, free, no insurance needed, 24/7, interpretation in more than 200 languages
• 800-327-5050 Massachusetts Substance Use Helpline, call, text, or chat, 24/7
• 800-972-0590 SafeSpot, if you are about to use alone
• 1-866-624-3578 New England Region NA phoneline

NA Meetings in Lowell: Questions and Answers

Are there NA meetings in Lowell, Massachusetts?
Yes, two in-person groups meet in Lowell on the North East Massachusetts Area’s September 2026 schedule. These occur on different evenings in the same Pawtucketville church. More run in Tewksbury, Billerica and Burlington that show up in the finder.

Are NA meetings free?
Yes, NA has no dues or fees. A basket goes round for voluntary contributions toward rent and literature and nobody is turned away for not giving anything.

Do I have to stop using before I go?
No, you don’t have to stop using before you attend your first meeting. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using. Plenty of people attend their first meeting while still using. This is a normal way to begin rather than something to apologise for.

Are the Lowell meetings wheelchair accessible?
Both are listed as wheelchair accessible in the area directory. If you need to confirm the entrance or anything else about the venue, the regional phoneline at 1-866-624-3578 can put you in touch with the group.

What is the difference between an open and a closed meeting?
Open meetings welcome anyone, including family and people who are only curious. Closed meetings are for people who identify with a desire to stop using drugs. Both Lowell groups are open, and the finder listing marks which type any nearby meeting is.

About This Directory

Narcotics.com is an independent resource and is not affiliated with Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc. Meeting information comes from published NA area schedules and changes from time to time, so confirm with the group or the regional phoneline before you travel.

Narcotics.com may be compensated for some links or featured resources on this site. This never affects the meeting information above or which resources we describe.

Related Pages

• What Narcotics Anonymous Is and How It Works
• Are NA Meetings Right for Me?
• Opiate Detox: Symptoms, Dangers, and Treatment