Floyd Against Drugs Supports 2026 Floyd County Teen Maze

Floyd Against Drugs was proud to serve as a sponsor of the 2026 Floyd County Teen Maze, held September 2–3 at Georgia Highlands College.

The Floyd County Teen Maze is a collaborative community initiative that gives local ninth-grade students an interactive look at how the choices they make today can affect their health, education and future.

This year’s Teen Maze reached 1,073 ninth graders from seven area high schools, with support from 225 community volunteers and approximately 50 organizations participating at more than 25 stations throughout the event.

Rather than simply hearing about the risks associated with certain behaviors, students make their way through a life-sized “game of life,” encountering realistic scenarios and seeing the potential consequences of decisions involving alcohol and other drugs, relationships, impaired driving and other issues teens may face.

The goal is to help young people understand personal responsibility and recognize that the decisions they make can have lasting consequences.

Supporting Prevention Through Education

Teen Maze aligns closely with the mission of Floyd Against Drugs: mobilizing the community to reduce drug, tobacco and underage alcohol use in Rome and Floyd County through education, cooperation and prevention.

Floyd Against Drugs has supported Teen Maze for many years, helping provide local students with information and resources surrounding alcohol and substance use. Sponsoring programs such as Teen Maze gives FAD an opportunity to support prevention education at an important stage in students’ lives — before risky behaviors have the opportunity to become established patterns.

That outreach remains important in our community. According to 2026 KIDS COUNT information for Floyd County, 5.8% of local ninth-grade students reported using alcohol during the previous 30 days, while 3.5% reported using an electronic vapor product.

Programs like Teen Maze help bring those statistics to life by creating meaningful conversations and giving students information they can draw on when faced with real-world choices.

2026 Teen Maze by the Numbers

The impact of this year’s event reflects just how many people and organizations came together to support Floyd County youth:

• 1,073 area ninth graders participated

• 7 area high schools were represented

• 225 community volunteers helped make the event possible

• 50 organizations participated at 25+ stations

• 13 organizations shared community resources

• 360 volunteer meals were provided

• $8,000 in sponsored expenses helped support the event

Behind those numbers were what Teen Maze organizers described as “countless crucial conversations” — conversations designed to help students think carefully about the choices they make and the future they want to build.

A Community Effort

Teen Maze demonstrates what can happen when an entire community comes together on behalf of its young people. Schools, nonprofits, health organizations, law enforcement, first responders, local businesses and volunteers all play a role in creating an experience students can remember long after the event is over.

The 2026 Floyd County Teen Maze was a collaborative initiative led by the Georgia Department of Public Health Northwest Health District, the Rome-Floyd County Commission on Children and Youth, and Georgia Highlands College, with support from community organizations and sponsors throughout Rome and Floyd County.

Floyd Against Drugs is grateful for the opportunity to sponsor this year’s Teen Maze and to support an initiative that encourages young people to make healthy, informed decisions.

When our community works together to provide education, prevention resources and honest conversations, we help give the next generation the tools they need to build healthier, safer futures.