This report explores how and why young people are recruited into criminal drugs networks in Europe, and what can be done to prevent it. Drawing on a rapid review of international evidence, it highlights the complex interplay of individual, social and structural factors that shape recruitment, including vulnerability, peer dynamics and socioeconomic conditions. The report identifies a range of promising intervention approaches — from family- and school-based support to community mobilisation, digital prevention and targeted disruption of criminal networks — and highlights key lessons for effective implementation. It provides policymakers, practitioners and researchers with evidence-informed insights to support the development of coordinated and effective responses to this growing challenge.