Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Monica Barzanti, head of international relations at SanPa. She talks about how the center started and its successes.
In 2024, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. drew renewed attention to San Patrignano (SanPa), presenting it as a potential model for addressing severe substance use disorders. In his remarks, he described it as a “healing community,” in which individuals struggling with addiction are given ample time, much-needed structure, and communal responsibility to regain a sense of identity and purpose. The appeal of such a model, from his perspective, lies in its emphasis on duration, discipline, and social integration—factors often perceived as lacking in contemporary treatment systems in the United States. San Patrignano also requires abstinence, and RFK Jr has argued that effective recovery requires individuals to be removed from places where drugs are accessible.
Monica Barzanti, head of international relations at SanPa. She talks about how the center started and its successes.
In 2024, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. drew renewed attention to San Patrignano (SanPa), presenting it as a potential model for addressing severe substance use disorders. In his remarks, he described it as a “healing community,” in which individuals struggling with addiction are given ample time, much-needed structure, and communal responsibility to regain a sense of identity and purpose. The appeal of such a model, from his perspective, lies in its emphasis on duration, discipline, and social integration—factors often perceived as lacking in contemporary treatment systems in the United States. San Patrignano also requires abstinence, and RFK Jr has argued that effective recovery requires individuals to be removed from places where drugs are accessible.
