What difference does it make whether a drug rehab is 12 step or non 12 step based? When you are talking about alcoholism and drug addiction, you are talking about a matter of life or death. Some addicts and or alcoholics may only get one clear chance to find recovery from their disease. Non 12 step based treatment centers seem to understand that the AA 12 step approach may not work for everybody. The statistics are very clear. The 12 steps of AA work for some, but not all. Not by a long shot. So, if a treatment center really wants as many of its patients to find lasting recovery, they had better offer both a non 12 step as well as a 12 step approach to how to stay clean and sober.