Social media users are speculating that Robert F Kennedy Jr allegedly placed a nicotine pouch in his mouth while fielding questions during his second Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday. Mr Kennedy, who has been nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, was seen pulling something out of his inside jacket pocket and holding onto it as Washington Senator Maria Cantwell quizzed him.

The eagle-eyed social media users spotted that between his responses, Mr Kennedy seemingly removed something that was resting under his left lower lip and slipped another item into his mouth — using his tongue to position it in front of his gum.

Internet reacts

As per the users, Mr Kennedy was using Zyn, a brand of small, flavoured pouches that sit under the consumer’s gum and lip. It is marketed as a healthier alternative to cigarettes that helps users get rid of their smoking habit.

However, not many were impressed by Mr Kennedy’s use of the alleged nicotine product with many stating it was hypocrisy on the part of the soon-to-be health secretary.

“It’s his life, he can do whatever he wants. But it is quite rich that he consumes nicotine while advising Americans how to live healthily,” said one user, while another defended him saying: “Would you rather he went back to smoking and blowing the nicotine filled smoke out into the public? For some, it is extremely difficult to quit smoking.”

A third commented: “He needs to quit. He preaches a healthy lifestyle and doesn’t follow what he preaches. it’s not shaming him it’s asking him to follow what he preaches.”

RFK Jr poppin’ a Zyn like a boss during his Senate confirmation hearing. I can’t blame him, having to listen to Cherokee Liz shriek like a madwoman would make me crave nicotine too. pic.twitter.com/WrEAdOG3HL

— Jim Minardi (@theminardiparty) January 30, 2025

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RFK Jr’s health agenda

Mr Kennedy has managed to secure the top position in the Trump administration, based on his ‘Make America Healthy Again’ campaign — a play on Mr Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) slogan. He dropped his independent presidential campaign in August last year and endorsed Mr Trump, expressing commitment to prioritise the fight against chronic diseases as well as the big pharma.

“Our big priority will be to clean up the public health agencies,” Mr Kennedy declared during the canvassing trail, naming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and more.

“Those agencies have become sock puppets for the industries that they’re supposed to regulate,” said the 70-year-old, echoing his criticism of the agencies.

New Delhi:

Toxins commonly present in the environment, such as nicotine and metals, have been linked with depressive symptoms like feeling hopeless or taking little interest in daily activities, according to a study conducted on US adults.

Researchers found that inflammation brought about by these environmental toxins could be one of the possible underlying reasons.

The team of researchers, including those from Peking University, China, analysed toxin levels in blood and urine samples of over 3,400 adults. The data was taken from the National Health and Nutrition Examination and Survey (NHANES), which tracks Americans’ health and nutrition.

Depression in the participants was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), which can establish diagnosis, along with severity of symptoms.

The researchers found that toxins, including heavy metals, nicotine, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in paints and varnishes, increased the risk of depressive symptoms in the participants.

Those with detectable levels of MHBMA2, a VOC, were at 74 per cent higher risk of experiencing depression-like symptoms compared to those with undetectable levels, the authors found.

Further, men were found to be more vulnerable to the depressive effects of environmental toxins, compared to women.

The authors found that inflammation, measured through white blood cell (WBC) count, was one of the processes driving these links between toxins and depression-like symptoms.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)