“They walked in and walked straight out of adult treatment”: creating tailored drug outreach and service provision for young adults in England

Article

Duke, K. and Welch, Z. 2026. “They walked in and walked straight out of adult treatment”: creating tailored drug outreach and service provision for young adults in England . International Journal of Drug Policy. 150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105180
TypeArticle
Title“They walked in and walked straight out of adult treatment”: creating tailored drug outreach and service provision for young adults in England
AuthorsDuke, K. and Welch, Z.
Abstract

Background: In England and Wales, drug use and related harms among young adults aged 18-25 remain high. They are neglected in existing service provision. Drawing on evaluation findings of a multi-component drug outreach service in England and informed by the concept of ‘emerging adulthood’, this paper explores the possibilities for the development of bespoke interventions for young adults.
Methods: This paper draws on semi-structured interviews (n=19) conducted with managers and practitioners within the outreach service, regional leads for young people’s services, and strategic stakeholders in public health, police and education.
Results: The co-produced outreach model was found to be agile, innovative and responsive to local drug trends. It was able to reach groups vulnerable to drug-related harms, by employing a different conceptualisation of ‘harm reduction’ centered on safety. Outreach interactions were limited in scope at some transition points to adulthood, with contact often lost when individuals reached age 18. Onward referral for those who need more intensive interventions was often difficult from ad hoc interactions, and existing adult treatment services were deemed unsuitable for young adult needs.
Conclusion: Emerging adults aged 18-25 are a diverse group with distinct substance use profiles. Outreach activities are effective for education, harm reduction messaging, and signposting for further support. However, there is a need for the development of bespoke young adult service provision with skilled, specialist staff who can help young adults navigate these transitions without harm.

Keywordsyoung adults; emerging adulthood; outreach; treatment; harm reduction; safety; co-production; prevention; service development; England
Sustainable Development Goals3 Good health and well-being
10 Reduced inequalities
4 Quality education
Middlesex University ThemeHealth & Wellbeing
Research GroupThe Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (DARC)
PublisherElsevier
JournalInternational Journal of Drug Policy
ISSN0955-3959
Electronic1873-4758
Publication dates
Online18 Feb 2026
PrintApr 2026
Publication process dates
Accepted02 Feb 2026
Deposited06 Feb 2026
Output statusPublished
Publisher's version
License
File Access Level
Open
Copyright Statement

Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2026.105180
PubMed ID41713117
LanguageEnglish
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