MARYVILLE, Tenn. — As the excitement builds for Friday night lights, one high school football rivalry is turning attention to teen substance misuse and prevention.

Maryville High School will face off against West High School this Friday, marking the 10th anniversary of Maryville’s “Drug Free Football Game.”

The annual event is held in memory of a former student who died from an overdose in 2014.

“Substance misuse is pretty prevalent in our school,” said Faith Garcia, a student at Alcoa High School. “It’s a lot of vapes, honestly. People have even found it in our elementary school.”

A 2022–2023 Blount County student survey revealed the average age for initiating prescription drug misuse is just 11 years old. For vaping, it's 13, and for marijuana use, it's 14.

“Alcohol and vapes are th

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