You've probably heard of Narcotics Anonymous, or NA, which offers support groups to recovering drug addicts.

Lesser known is the Nar-Anon family groups. They're for the friends and family of addicts whose lives are just as affected by drugs.

Nar-Anon has been holding meetings in Rockland and Belfast, but is only coming to southern Maine now. The first meeting will be tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. at the Dana Education Center at Maine Medical Center.

Jane Newcomb, who leads the Belfast group with her husband, is launching the Portland group. She will come down every Tuesday from her home in Owl's Head for the next few weeks in hopes that there will be enough participation at the end of the month for the group to be self-sustaining.

Newcomb, a special education technician, formed the Belfast group more than three years ago, after noticing people in her church were either struggling with addiction or had addicts in their lives.

Because NA meetings are more accessible, she decided to start a Nar-Anon group at the local library. Shortly after, she started receiving inquiries about the group from all over the state, but mostly from Portland.

The format in Portland will be the same as in other groups, says Newcomb.

"People will go around and say their first name, and tell their stories if they want," she says.

To learn more about Nar-Anon click here.

For more info about the Portland meeting, call Newcomb at 594-2801.

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