'Be in the Know' Campaign Shows What's Possible via Collaboration

'Be in the Know' Campaign Shows What's Possible via Collaboration

-Alisa Cunningham, Mayra Jeffery, Jaime Burnett

The rise in opioid use and the presence of fentanyl in illicit drugs have significantly increased the risk of fatal overdoses and poisonings. The “Be in the Know” campaign aims to address this challenge by equipping college students with the knowledge and tools to prevent overdoses and intervene effectively. This awareness campaign and training was developed collaboratively by the Pima County Health Department (Arizona), the Counter Narcotics Alliance, the Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, the CDC Foundation, the Overdose Response Strategy, the University of Arizona Police Department, the Tucson Police Department, and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.

In 2023, Pima County, Arizona, experienced a significant increase in fatal overdoses and poisonings, along with a rise in violent crimes related to narcotic activity. Law enforcement officials identified that narcotics were being marketed to young adults using bright colors and designs, such as Tesla and Ferrari logos stamped on pills. At that time, each partner working in prevention was addressing these issues separately. Recognizing the need for a unified approach, the partners came together to develop a multifaceted strategy. Each organization contributed its unique perspective and resources to create the “Be in the Know” campaign. The campaign specifically focuses on educating and increasing awareness among young adults on four defined objectives: the local drug landscape, signs of drug poisoning and overdose, naloxone administration, and the Good Samaritan law.

Implemented at the University of Arizona during the fall 2024 semester, the campaign includes media materials and a training presentation for students and staff. It is also actively promoted at college fairs and events. These efforts have strengthened collaboration among public health, public safety, and university partners, improving overdose prevention awareness across campus. The campaign fosters intelligence and resource sharing; builds connections with students, families, faculty members, and interested parties; and promotes a unified, life-saving message in response to an evolving drug landscape while encouraging interventions that can save lives.

This campaign has already achieved significant reach. At the start of the fall 2024 semester, 75 student orientation ambassadors received “Be in the Know” training and naloxone. These ambassadors led orientation sessions for approximately 11,000 new and transfer students at the University of Arizona. QR code cards linked to campaign information, prevention education, and local resources were distributed to all new and transfer students. During orientation activities, approximately 800 people engaged in prevention and intervention education; 450 received naloxone administration training and 160 naloxone kits were distributed. Additionally, 810 campaign posters were distributed to residential and off-campus housing. Two student-led substance use prevention and harm reduction organizations were trained on the “Be in the Know” materials to ensure consistent messaging across campus. The Greek Life newsletter also distributed “Be in the Know” information, and the campaign was represented in six different campus events where information and training were provided, along with naloxone kit distribution. Additionally, naloxone was co-located at all 308 automated external defibrillator locations across campus.

Though the “Be in the Know” campaign is relatively simple and inexpensive to implement, there are a few important considerations for anyone looking to adopt a similar prevention and intervention program in a college or university setting:

• Identifying key interest holders, selecting partners, and establishing clear points of contact are important steps that should be addressed early in the process.
• Reaching an agreement among partners on the defined objectives of the campaign during the initial planning stages, as each partner has their own goals and objectives.
• Assessing the number of personnel needed to support the campaign, as well as their respective assignments, the necessary financial support for the campaign, and the political environment of the college and partner agencies. These are critical issues that can delay the progress of a campaign.
• Adapting when barriers arise is also an essential factor for successful implementation. Even with the most well-thought-out process, barriers may still be encountered at any point during the implementation process. Remaining flexible and being willing to pivot in a new direction can help ensure goals are met.
• Incorporating feedback and evaluation mechanisms in advance if evidence-based evaluation is a campaign goal.   

Campaigns like “Be in the Know” bring public health and public safety sectors together to work collaboratively on preventing overdose and saving lives. There is additional value in these kinds of collaborations as they offer opportunities to build and strengthen relationships across sectors that can then be leveraged to address other community health and safety issues.

This program is supported in-part by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $17,000,000, with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS. A portion of this funding supported the project described above. The contents are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, CDC/HHS, the U.S. Government, or the CDC Foundation.

Alisa Cunningham has worked in law enforcement for 29 years. She has served in several assignments including patrol, narcotics, violent crime and gangs, undercover operations, hostage negotiator, and was a field training officer and sergeant. She has worked as a patrol commander, force commander, audit and best practices, special investigations, Deputy Commander for the Counter Narcotic Alliance-AZHIDTA, and currently is a commander in the Wellness Division. Alisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from the University of San Diego. She has attended the DEA Drug Unit Commander Academy, National Tactical Officer’s Association SWAT Commander School, and the Senior Management Institute for Police. She is also a certified FBINA Officer Wellness and Resiliency Instructor. She served as a committee member for the Arizona Women’s Initiative Network, vice president of NOBLE in Southern Arizona, and is currently a committee member for the Erik Hite Foundation.

Mayra Jeffery obtained a B.S. in Psychology and a B.S.H.S. in Physiology from the University of Arizona. Mayra has been working in the behavioral and public health sectors for a combined 12 years, providing direct services to individuals at highest need and developing strategies to help end deaths related to suicides and overdoses. She is a bilingual trained facilitator of QPR Gatekeeper Training for Suicide Prevention and the Strengthening Families Program and a Master Trainer in the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program suite. In addition to overseeing several grants, including the Overdose Data to Action: LOCAL grant, she oversees outreach and education programming for the Division of Community Mental Health and Addiction at the Pima County Health Department, which focuses on critical public health initiatives concerning overdose prevention, suicide prevention, stigma reduction, and harm reduction via health education, outreach, critical trend surveillance, fatality review committees, and linkages to care.

Jaime Burnett is a Public Health Analyst working under the Overdose Response Strategy for the CDC Foundation. She was previously an officer with the Tucson Police Department for 21 years and currently works under the Public Health/Public Safety Initiative at Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Jaime uses her experience collaborating with public health and public safety agencies and community coalitions to work across the state to focus efforts on reducing fatal and nonfatal poisonings and overdoses, promoting the sharing of information and pertinent intelligence, and supporting innovative and evidence-based strategies in Arizona.