According to the New Mexico 2015-2019 Youth Risk and Resiliency Surveys (YRRS), New Mexico has consistently ranked in the top five states with the highest rates of underage drinking (UAD). Because of this, prevention professionals have been seeking low-cost, high return, evidence-based prevention strategies to mitigate New Mexico’s UAD challenges. One of the strategies being implemented to accomplish this is New Mexico's Be Above the Influence (BE-ATI) underage drinking prevention campaign. It is reaching millions.

One such strategy is a social health marketing campaign. Social marketing may generally be characterized as the application of marketing techniques to social problems such as underage drinking. Utilizing the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) social media campaign tools and best practices, Frank Magourilos of Prevention Works Consulting LLC developed the Be Above the Influence Campaign (BE-ATI) which was first implemented in Bernalillo County.

Within a few years the BE-ATI campaign has been implemented in ten New Mexico counties including Bernalillo, Curry, Los Alamos, Chaves, Guadalupe, Mora, De Baca, Roosevelt, McKinley, and Torrance County DWI prevention programs. The annual budgets of the BE-ATI campaign in these counties vary from a low of $8,000 to a high of $175,000.

The BE-ATI campaign’s success and cost effectiveness rests on some very basic principles:

• Use best practices.
• Follow the four “P’s” of social marketing.
• Make it easy to implement.
• Identify and use as many very low-cost or no cost social media channels.
• Recruit volunteers and partners from existing networks.

Best Practices – SAMHSA and the CDC have many free resources and tool kits with guidance on implementing and evaluating social health marketing campaigns. See Other Resources section of this newsletter for links to recommended resources.

Follow The Four “P’s” of Social Marketing

• Product: What can we offer that would facilitate behavior change?
• Price: What can we offer that would be valuable and replace the cost of negative behaviors?
• Place: What can we offer that would be easy, fun, and positive to absorb at a physical location or online?
• Promotion: What can we use that would be the best channel to reach our audience?

All four (“P’s) are simple to address in the BE-ATI campaign by using behaviorally sound positive reinforcement messages.

Make it Easy to Implement

Make it easy to implement by using free social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, e-mail, partners’ Websites, etc. For an easy-to-use How-to Guide with examples and instructions on how to create a BE-ATI campaign in your community, contact Frank Magourilos at [email protected].

By the Numbers

Actual example of cost of the BE-ATI to implement and saturation rates.

FY21 Q1 Curry County, NM: Be Above the Influence Campaign Tracking Evaluation Form

Frank G. Magourilos, MPS, CPS, SCPS

Prevention Works Consulting LLC

[email protected]

For the past 21 plus years Frank Magourilos has been working with local, state, and federal governments, and with local and national organizations in the areas of social health, behavioral health, mental health and wellness; including underage drinking and substance misuse prevention. He has developed an expertise in developing, implementing, and evaluating research-based social health marketing campaigns. Currently Mr. Magourilos is working with 12 counties in New Mexico.

His academic background consists of a Master of Prevention Science Degree from Oklahoma University, a Bachelor's Degree in Behavioral Psychology and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication and Journalism from the University of New Mexico. Frank also holds an IC&RC International Certified Prevention Specialist Credential and a Sr. Certified Prevention Specialist Credential from the NM Credentialing Board for Behavioral Health Professionals.