Christopher Kennedy & Dr John Herron

Recent Speaker

Australian National Council on Drugs

February 28, 2012

11.30am - 1.30pm

"Address to the National Press Club"

National Gallery of AustraliaDue to renovations this event will be held at Gandel hall at the National Gallery of Australia DIRECTIONS FROM PRESS CLUB HERE
Parking Information

Christopher Kennedy-Lawford is a nephew of legendary US President John F Kennedy, the son of John's sister Patricia and cousin-in-law of former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Listen to Christopher speak here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fpE9orjnfE

In his 2005 New York Times bestselling memoir, Symptoms of Withdrawal, Christopher Kennedy-Lawford chronicled his deep descent into near-fatal drug and alcohol addiction, and his subsequent hard-won journey back to sobriety, which he has maintained for the past 24 years with the hopes of making a difference. The overwhelming response received to his book impressed upon Kennedy-Lawford the number of people struggling to find their own way back from addiction and the need to share their stories, which led to the development of Moment of Clarity: Voices From the Front Lines of Addiction and Recovery.

In 2009, Kennedy-Lawford released The New York Times Bestseller, Moments of Clarity, which illuminates the spiritual epiphanies that occur in 44 peoples lives enabling them to move from addiction to recovery and Healing Hepatitis C.

Mr. Kennedy-Lawford has a novel in the works focusing on the relationship between men and women.

Christopher Kennedy-Lawford has spent much of his life in Hollywood and Washington, navigating these two worlds as an actor, writer, lawyer, activist and public speaker. However, before his successes, Lawford battled a drug and alcohol addiction for much of his early life. In recovery for more than 24 years, he shares his experience, strength and hope to make a difference in people’s lives. As a result of his drug addiction, Mr. Kennedy-Lawford was diagnosed with hepatitis C in 2000. He was successfully treated and is now virus free. For the past five years he has worked with a number of partners in private industry, the non-profit sector, state and federal governments and patient advocacy groups to effect change and raise awareness about these two pressing public health issues. Presently Mr. Kennedy-Lawford is working with the United Nations, the Canadian Center on Substance Abuse, and the World Health Organization in efforts to raise awareness globally about addiction and hepatitis.

Mr. kennedy-Lawford has extensive experience in the non-profit sector working with a variety of organizations including: Caron Treatment Centers, California Hepatitis Alliance, The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation, Special Olympics, The Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, and was recently appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to the California Public Health Advisory Committee. Mr. Kennedy-Lawford spends much of his time speaking globally in support of these issues. His political resume includes executive staff positions with The Democratic National Committee, The Community Action for Legal Services Agency and in the Washington office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. He has also held staff positions on numerous national, state and local political campaigns.

thumbnailDr John Herron – Chairman of the Australian National Council on Drugs (ANCD)


Outside his surgical and political careers Dr Herron was an officer in the Royal Australian Army Medical corps and a Squadron Leader in the Royal Australian Air Force. He has been awarded the Bancroft Medal of the A.M.A. (QLD), the Justin Fleming Medal of the Australian Association of Surgeons, a Citation by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, the Humanitarian Overseas Medal for his service as a Care Australia medical officer during the Rwandan crisis and the Australian Service Medal.


He is a Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and a Papal Knight of St Gregory.


He and his wife Jan have six daughters and three sons.

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