Background: Substance Use Disorder (SUD) has emerged as a major public health crisis significantly affecting young adults globally and within India, particularly disrupting the demographic dividend. This transitional phase makes young people highly vulnerable to peer influence, stress, and substance experimentation.

Objectives: The primary objective was to assess the overall baseline knowledge regarding Substance Use Disorder and its prevention among young adults in a selected rehabilitation centre in Amravati. Secondary objectives included identifying specific knowledge gaps and exploring statistical associations with selected demographic variables.

Methodology: A quantitative descriptive research approach with a non-experimental research design was adopted. The study was conducted at the Baba Rehabilitation Health Care Center in Amravati. A sample of 30 young adults aged 18 to 25 years was selected using a non-probability purposive sampling technique. Data collection was performed using a rigorously validated 20-item Structured Knowledge Questionnaire translated into Marathi (reliability r = 0.85).

Results: Demographic findings indicated that 70% of the sample belonged to the highly vulnerable 18–23 age bracket, 60% were male, and 66.67% resided in rural areas. Notably, 76.66% had achieved a higher secondary or graduate-level education. Remarkably, 0.00% of the participants possessed an "Adequate" level of knowledge regarding SUD and its prevention. The vast majority (76.67%) demonstrated only "Moderate" knowledge, while 23.33% exhibited completely "Inadequate" understanding. The overall group mean score was heavily depressed at 11.40 ± 1.57 out of 20. Inferential statistical testing utilizing the Chi-square test revealed no significant association between knowledge scores and any demographic variables, including formal education (p = 0.900).

Conclusion: The study conclusively demonstrates a severe, universal deficit in clinical health literacy regarding addiction biology and relapse prevention among recovering youth, irrespective of their academic backgrounds. This underscores the critical necessity to integrate structured, mandatory health education modules into routine rehabilitation frameworks beyond pure physical detoxification.