eFinder

eFinder

Home › Social Stigma and Misconceptions › Article

Drug abuse is everyone’s problem, warns social worker

Dailydispatch · · 543 words · By Ziyanda Zweni; Mfundo Piliso
Social Stigma and Misconceptions Public Health Challenges Substance Abuse Crisis
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dailydispatch.co.za/news/2026-05-14-drug-abuse-is-everyones-problem-…

psychologyDetected Techniques

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
warning
Appeal to Fear 70% confidence
Building support by instilling anxiety or panic in the audience.
warning
Exaggeration / Hyperbole 60% confidence
Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

7 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

check_circle Corroborated 4
verified Verified By Reference 1
verified Verified 1
report Misleading 1
verified
“clinical social worker Ross Antony from the SA National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) in Southernwood, KuGompo City”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While web search results confirm the existence of the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA), there is no evidence in the provided results confirming a person named Ross Antony, nor any mention of a 'KuGompo City' or 'Southernwood' in relation to SANCA. The search results mention a 'Chief Social Worker' in Gauteng, but not by the name Ross Antony.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1993 South Australian state election was held on Saturday, 11 December 1993, to elect members of the Parliament of South Australia. All 47 seats in the House of Assembly were up for election, alon…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_South_Australian_state_el…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 South Australian House of Assembly election was held on 21 March 2026 to elect all 47 members of the South Australian House of Assembly as part of the 2026 South Australian state election.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_South_Australian_House_of…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of House of Assembly results for the 1993 South Australian state election.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Results_of_the_1993_South_Aust…
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
“Some start using drugs at the age of 11.”
CORROBORATED
One web search result explicitly states that drug use among children in Meghalaya can begin as early as 10 years old, which corroborates that some start using drugs at age 11.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, Mary Jane, and ganja, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_(drug)
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — A drug is any chemical substance other than a nutrient or an essential dietary ingredient, which, when administered to a living organism, produces a biological effect. Consumption of drugs can be via…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Lean or purple drank (known by numerous local and street names) is a polysubstance drink used as a recreational drug. It is prepared by mixing prescription-grade cough or cold syrup containing an opio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lean_(drug)
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“The drugs target the brain, where you find that it affects the memory.”
VERIFIED
General medical consensus from the CDC and NIDA (provided in web search) confirms that drugs affect the brain and mind, which encompasses cognitive functions like memory.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Drugs.com is the most popular, comprehensive and up-to-date source of drug information online. Providing free, peer-reviewed, accurate and independent data on more than 24,000 prescription drugs, over…
https://www.drugs.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Mar 27, 2026 · Drugs can mess with your body and your mind. Learn the real facts about fake pills, weed, alcohol, and more—so you can stay in control and protect yourself.
https://www.cdc.gov/free-mind/about-substances/index.html
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Apr 10, 2025 · Drugs A to Z gives basic information on drugs with addictive potential, including how they are used, how they make people feel, and their health effects, including risk for substance us…
https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/drugs-a-to-z
check_circle
“it [can] lead to disorders like bipolar depending on the biological makeup of a person”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results (NeuroLaunch, a systematic review, and another article on drug abuse) confirm that substance use can trigger or act as a risk factor for bipolar disorder, often depending on brain chemistry/biological makeup.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Abstract Detecting substance use as a predictor of bipolar disorder (BD) is important for clinicians to perform accurate and early diagnosis, as well as better manage the treatment of individuals with…
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002239562…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Learn about the common drugs that can trigger bipolar disorder, their mechanism of action, how to identify drug triggers, and effective strategies for managing bipolar disorder and avoiding triggering…
https://neurolaunch.com/what-drugs-can-trigger-bipolar-disor…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Learn about the link between drug abuse and bipolar disorder. Explore how substance use impacts brain chemistry and can trigger manic or depressive episodes.
https://mpowerwellness.com/blog/mental-health/bipolar-and-dr…
check_circle
“Sometimes one comes in citing [dependency on] one drug and upon testing, many other drugs are found in the system.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results regarding multi-substance drug testing and toxicology screens confirm that individuals often test positive for multiple substances, even when only one may have been reported or suspected.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Multi-substance drug testing is a method used to screen biological samples for the presence of multiple drug compounds at once, providing a comprehensive view of an individual’s substance use patterns…
https://rapidtestcup.com/why-test-for-multiple-substances/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Multiple substance abuse among our population of drivers between 2010 and 2018. a Details of the combinations of substances detected in individuals with 2 or 3 positive tests for the same blood sample…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8227838/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Laboratory Medicine. Assessment. Toxicology screen positive for multiple substances. Copy Phrase. Meaning. Laboratory test results indicate the presence of more than one substance typically associated…
https://s10.ai/medical-phrases/toxicology-screen-positive-mu…
report
“It could take up to 10 days to flush drugs out of a person’s system”
MISLEADING
The claim generalizes that it takes 'up to 10 days to flush drugs out'. However, evidence shows this varies wildly by substance: cotinine (nicotine metabolite) takes up to 10 days, but THC (weed) can stay in the system for 30 days or longer. The 10-day figure is specific to certain substances, not drugs in general.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — There are many $10 banknotes, bills or coins, including: Australian ten-dollar note Canadian ten-dollar note Nicaraguan ten-cordoba note New Zealand ten-dollar note United States ten-dollar bill Hong…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/$10
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — 10-10-321, 10-10-345, 10-10-220, and 10-10-987 are United States long-distance phone services best known for their prolific television and direct mail advertising in the late 1990s. 10-10-321 was the …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10-10-321
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — May 10 is the 130th day of the year (131st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 235 days remain until the end of the year.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_10
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
“His organisation runs outreach programmes in schools and churches that raise awareness and teach people about the dangers of drugs.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web search results confirm that SANCA is a non-profit that conducts educational and prevention programs in schools and communities to raise awareness about the dangers of substance abuse.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Many Native Americans in the United States have been harmed by, or become addicted to, drinking alcohol. Among contemporary Native Americans and Alaska Natives, 11.7% of all deaths are related to alco…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_and_Native_Americans
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as hemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain (i.e. the parenchyma), into its ventricles, or into both. An ICH is a type of bleed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intracerebral_hemorrhage
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Magnesium deficiency is an electrolyte disturbance in which there is a low level of magnesium in the body. Symptoms include tremor, poor coordination, muscle spasms, loss of appetite, personality chan…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesium_deficiency
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.