U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. says his past drug addiction has helped him to not be “afraid” of germs.
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During a recent episode of Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast, a Kennedy family member discussed how he and Von met at morning recovery meetings. The now politician said he has been in recovery for 43 years, thanks to meeting with other former addicts.
However, RFK Jr. pointed out that the addiction recovery meetings were shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The shutdowns didn’t stop him and several other members from forming a “pirate” group that met in person.
“I said I don’t care what happens, I’m going to a meeting every day,” he recalled. “I said, ‘I’m not scared of germs.’ I used to snort cocain of of toilet seats.”
He further pointed out that his addiction recovery mattered to him more than taking COVID-19 precautions. “I know this disease will kill me, right? Like, if I don’t treat it, which means for me going to meetings every day, it’s just bad for my life. For me, it was survival.”
The Trump cabinet member also stated that the secret meetings were opportunities to help others with addiction struggles. “That’s the secret sauce of the meetings,” he added. “And that’s what keeps us all sober. Keeps us from self-will.”
RFK Jr. Has Spoken About His Addiction Struggles Over the Years
The 2024 presidential election nominee previously opened up about how he used drugs to bolster his academic performance back in the day.
“I did very, very poorly in school, until I started doing narcotics,” he explained while appearing on the Shawn Ryan Show podcast in 2024. “Then I went to the top of my class because my mind was so restless and turbulent, and I could not sit still.”
RFK Jr. noted that his heroin use “worked” for him. “If it still worked, I’d still be doing it,” he admitted.
Last year, he revealed at the RX and Illicit Drug Summer that the only way he stays sober is by taking responsibility for his daily actions. He then revealed that his addiction began shortly after his father was assassinated.
“They said, ‘Try this,’ and it was a line of crystal meth,” he recalled. “I took it, and all my problems went away.”
He then pointed out, “My addiction came on full force. By the end of the summer, I was shooting heroin, which was my drug of choice the next 14 years.”
RFK Jr. finally decided to get sober in 1983. He credited his arrest for heroin possession while flying to Minnesota for the reason he decided to stop doing drugs.