This study investigated Socio-demographic characteristics associated with substance use and abuse among Students of selected Secondary Schools in Ado-Ekiti, South/West, Nigeria. This descriptive cross-sectional survey utilized purposive sampling technique to select 327 final year Senior Secondary School (SSS) students randomly chosen from three (3) selected Secondary Schools in Ado Local Government Area (LGA) of Ekiti State, Southwest, Nigeria. Data was collected using a pre-tested, specially designed and self-administered questionnaire and analysis was done with Statistical Package for Social sciences (SPSS) version 20. Descriptive statistics and Inferential statistics were used to analyse data at 0.05% level of significance. The age group of 16-20 years (93.6%) were the main respondents in this study, 145 (44.3%) were males, 182 (55.7%) were females; respondents from polygamous homes reported higher (47.6%) percentage of substance use, also respondents from broken homes show higher affinity for psychoactive substance use. The main source of psychoactive substance use/initiation among secondary school students were through friends/peers 120 (36.7%) and through media 99 (30.3%). Most prominent among reasons advanced for psychoactive substance consumption were to keep awake to study late into the night 141 (43.1%) and to improve performance ((41.9%). This study finds that socio-demographic characteristics impacts some influence on predisposing factors culminating to substance use and abuse (ꭓ²=11.138, p=0.001). Appropriate preventive measures should be put in place to curtail this socio-medical menace.

Keywords: Socio-Demographic Characteristics, Substance Use and Abuse, Students,

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