Journal: European Addiction Research
Submission Deadline: July 31, 2026
Substance use among young people remains a major public health, social, and economic challenge, with profound consequences for individuals, families, communities, and systems of care. In the case of England, despite recent declines in overall prevalence of substance use among some younger age groups, the number of young people entering specialist treatment has risen sharply, particularly among those experiencing multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities. This pattern points to a persistent and worsening problem for the most deprived and marginalised young people, underscoring an urgent need for improved research, policy, and practice focused on recovery and recovery support.
This article collection in European Addiction Research seeks to advance understanding of youth substance use recovery and recovery support systems across diverse settings. As such, we welcome critical engagement with enduring and emerging controversies in youth substance use recovery, including but not limited to:
- Peer-led support vs risks of peer contamination
- Harm reduction approaches vs total abstinence models
- Individual vulnerability vs structural and systemic determinants (e.g. poverty, racism, trauma, gender inequality)
- Disengagement from services vs experiences of broken trust
- The role of families, schools, communities, and alternative peer groups in sustaining recovery
- Measurement and definitions of “recovery” for young people across developmental stages
Co-authored articles with one or more young people who have lived experience of substance use and recovery are strongly welcomed.
By bringing together research, practice insights, and lived experience, this special issue aims to strengthen the evidence base for youth recovery support, inform policy and service development, and contribute to more equitable, effective, and developmentally appropriate systems of care.
Please select the option “Call for Papers: Young People, Substance Use, and Pathways to Recovery” when submitting your manuscript and mention this Call for Papers in your cover letter.
Article publication is subject to rigorous peer review in line with the journal's editorial policies. Please refer to our author guidelines for further details about the publication conditions.
European Addiction Research is a Subscribe to Open (S2O) journal, aiming to achieve Open Access without cost to authors or readers. Authors submitting in 2026 can publish Open Access without any charges.