Substance use among adolescents remains a major public health and social concern, with consequences for health, education, family stability, and national development. This study examined the influence of gender, family background, peer pressure, and environmental factors on substance use among in-school adolescents, and identified measures for controlling substance use in selected public secondary schools in Abeokuta South Local Government Area, Ogun State, Nigeria. A quantitative descriptive survey design was adopted. Using multistage sampling, 422 adolescents aged 12–19 years were recruited from four public secondary schools; 400 properly completed questionnaires were analysed. Data were collected with a researcher-designed, self-administered questionnaire covering socio-demographics, determinants of substance use, and control measures. Items were rated on a 4-point Likert scale, with a decision mean of 2.50. Reliability coefficients ranged from 0.674 to 0.875. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential analysis, including multiple regression. Findings showed that gender norms significantly shaped substance use, with stronger social tolerance for male substance use. Family background was a strong determinant, particularly broken homes, parental substance use, and weak supervision. Peer pressure emerged as a major driver of initiation and continuation, while environmental exposure especially ease of access and weak law enforcement also contributed. Effective control was supported through integrated school-, family-, and community-based approaches, including drug education, parental monitoring, guidance counselling, enforcement around schools, peer education, and counselling-focused responses (grand mean = 3.29).
Keywords: Peer Pressure, adolescent substance use, environmental influence, family background, gender norms, school-based prevention
