US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has publicly reflected on his history of alcohol and substance abuse, sharing personal details from the period when he struggled with addiction. Speaking in a recent podcast appearance, he recalled episodes from that time, including comments about drug use and the role that recovery groups played in his life. The remarks form part of a series of public statements he has made about his addiction and recovery journey.
Podcast discussion and recovery meetings
US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr appeared on the podcast This Past Weekend, hosted by Theo Von, where he said he first met the presenter during morning recovery meetings.
Kennedy said that when meetings were interrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic, he and other participants continued gathering privately. According to his account, they formed what he described as a “pirate” group that met in person.
Recalling that period, he said he decided to continue attending meetings daily regardless of health concerns. He stated: “I said I don’t care what happens, I’m going to a meeting every day. I said: ‘I’m not afraid of a germ.’ I used cocaine on toilet seat lids.”
He added that supporting others through addiction recovery is beneficial for participants, saying that helping others prevents individuals from acting selfishly and contributes to maintaining sobriety.
Earlier remarks on substance use
Kennedy has spoken previously about his addiction history. During his 2024 presidential campaign, he said in an appearance on The Shawn Ryan Show podcast that drug use had influenced his academic performance.
He stated that he had struggled at school until he began taking drugs, claiming that his results improved afterwards because his mind had been restless and unsettled. Referring to his past heroin use, he said it had worked for him at the time and added that he would have continued if it had remained effective.
Origins of addiction and personal context
The US health secretary has said that his addiction began in the months following the assassination of his father, Robert Francis Kennedy, in 1968, according to USA Today. He said his first experience involved taking LSD at a party, followed by opioid use while returning home.
In a July 2024 interview on The Shawn Ryan Show, Kennedy described substance abuse as a “compulsion” that ultimately “empties your whole life”.
Arrest, rehabilitation and sobriety
Kennedy said he stopped using drugs in 1983. He has credited his sobriety to his arrest for heroin possession while travelling by air to Minnesota that year, describing the incident as the turning point that led him to rehabilitation.
According to his statements in the interview, he viewed the arrest as “the best thing that could have happened” because it pushed him towards recovery.
Source: Information from People