This study examined the influence of media and social media on substance abuse behaviours among senior secondary school students in Gwagwalada, Abuja, within the framework of functional pedagogy for effective learning of healthy behavioural skills. The estimated population of senior secondary school students in Gwagwalada, Abuja is 2,200, from which a sample of 300 students was selected using stratified random sampling to ensure fair representation across schools and genders. A descriptive survey design was employed, and data were gathered using a structured questionnaire developed by the researcher. The instrument was validated by experts in health education and curriculum studies and yielded a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.77, indicating good internal consistency. Descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency, and percentages were used to answer the research questions, while chi-square tests and Pearson correlation were applied to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that media and social media significantly shape students' exposure to and experimentation with substances such as alcohol, cigarettes, and cannabis. Functional pedagogical approaches particularly skill-based learning, media literacy, and decision-making strategies were found to enhance students' ability to resist peer pressure and critically evaluate negative media influences. The study concludes that functional pedagogy is a practical tool for equipping adolescents with healthy behavioural skills and recommends its integration into secondary school curricula, alongside teacher training and parental involvement, to address substance abuse challenges.