RFK Jr. Says Heroin Made Him a Top-of-Class Student in Resurfaced Clip: 'It Worked for Me'

Mar. 15, 2025

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.Photo:John Nacion/Getty

John Nacion/Getty

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.claimed that using heroin as a student improved his grades in a resurfaced clip that has been circulating on social media.

Kennedy appeared on an episode of theShawn Ryan Showduring his presidential campaign in July, where he recalled his history of addiction and his eventual heroin use. During the podcast interview, the Democrat-turned-independent — who has been nominated to oversee public health programs in President-electDonald Trump’s cabinet — said drugs bolstered his academic performance.

“I did very, very poorly in school, until I started doing narcotics,” Kennedy, 70, said on the podcast. “Then I went to the top of my class because my mind was so restless and turbulent and I could not sit still.”

“It worked for me,” he continued of his past heroin use. “And if it still worked, I’d still be doing it.”

According to theNational Institute on Drug Abuse, heroin users typically feel a brief “rush” after taking the drug, then enter a drowsy state where “mental function is clouded; heart function slows; and breathing is also severely slowed, sometimes enough to be life-threatening.”

The NIDA adds that the slow breathing can cause to permanent brain damage.

In the July podcast interview, Kennedy described his substance abuse as a “compulsion” that eventually “hollows out your whole life.” He said that cocaine and heroin became his drugs of choice.

Kennedy was arrested for heroin possession while flying to Minnesota to detox in 1983, he recalled, saying it was “the best thing that could have happened to me” because that event led to him getting sober.

“The most demoralizing feature of that disease was my incapacity to keep contracts with myself,” he said of the difficulties he faced in overcoming the addiction.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. shakes Donald Trump’s hand at an August 2024 campaign rally.Rebecca Noble/Getty

Rebecca Noble/Getty

Kennedy — who is best known as an anti-vaccine activist — has been in the news recently after he was revealed as Trump’s pick to lead theDepartment of Health and Human Services. He has made a number of controversial statements about what he may do as health secretary if the Senate approves his nomination.

Among the proposals, Kennedy has suggested that Americans begin consuming raw milk, even amid news thatthe bird flu has been found in batchesof the unpasteurized beverage.

He also declared his intent toremove fluoride from drinking water— claiming without evidence in anX postthat it is “associated with arthritis, bone fractures, bone cancer, IQ loss, neurodevelopmental disorders, and thyroid disease.”

To be confirmed to Trump’s Cabinet, Kennedy will need to earn the support of the Republican-controlled Senate when the 119th Congress convenes in January.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the SAMHSA substance abuse helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.

source: people.com