This study examined how birth order, parenting style, family socioeconomic status, Tgender, and age predicted drug involvement among adolescents in Owerri Metropolis, Imo State, Nigeria. A total of 576 secondary school students, including 293 males (50.9%) and 283 females (49.1%), aged 15 to 21 years(M = 15.81, SD = 0.99),were recruited using purposive sampling from six public secondary schools in Owerri. Participants completed the Parental Care Scale (Baumrind, 1991) and the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST; WHO, 2010). Data were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression. The results showed that birth order (â = 0.017, p > 0.05) and gender (â = -0.063, p > 0.05) did not significantly predict drug involvement. Authoritative parenting style (â = -0.016, p > 0.01) and family socioeconomic status (â = -0.064, p < 0.05)

were inversely related to drug involvement, although the relationship was not statistically significant.

Conversely, authoritarian (â = .103, p < .05) and permissive (â = .410, p < .05)

parenting styles positively and significantly predicted higher levels of drug involvement.

Additionally, older adolescents were significantly associated with increased drug use (â =

.087, p < .05). These findings indicate that certain parenting styles and age are significant factors influencing adolescent substance use within this population. The study recommends that preventive policies should be implemented, with a greater emphasis on parental education and the introduction of youth-centred drug intervention programmes.