JONESBORO, GA — A haunted house opening this weekend takes a creative approach to helping teens confront real-life dangers.

The “Haun-Teen Reality” experience, hosted by the nonprofit Hearts to Nourish Hope, uses fear-based scenarios to highlight issues like suicide, drug use, vaping, distracted driving, and the pressures of social media.

Deborah Anglin, CEO and co-founder of the organization, says the goal is to get teens thinking about their choices. “We deal with issues such as suicide, drugs, distracted driving, they’re vaping, their social media rooms,” Anglin said.

At the end of the walkthrough, participants sign a pledge promising to make better decisions. “The kids are able to say, ‘I was able to take the keys from my friend when he was drinking so that we didn’t get in the car,’” Anglin explained.

Now in its eighth year, the free event runs Friday and Saturday nights for teens ages 13 and up at Lucy Huey Hall on Tara Boulevard.