Clarksburg Marks Overdose Awareness Day With Remembrance Walk, Signs of Progress in Harrison County
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — Harrison County residents will gather in downtown Clarksburg Monday to remember those lost to overdose, support families affected by substance use and connect residents with prevention, treatment and recovery resources.
International Overdose Awareness Day will begin locally with a Remembrance Walk at 5 p.m. from Christ Episcopal Church, known as the Red Door Church, at the corner of West Main and South Sixth streets. Participants will then gather at Jackson Square from 6 to 8 p.m., where community organizations will provide information about treatment, recovery, prevention and family support services.
The observance has also received formal recognition from both the City of Clarksburg and Harrison County. Mayor Wayne Worth proclaimed Aug. 31 as International Overdose Awareness Day in Clarksburg, while the Harrison County Commission also issued a proclamation recognizing the day.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of International Overdose Awareness Day. The 2026 theme, “25 Years On. Still Needed,” is intended to combine remembrance with continued attention to overdose prevention and recovery.
Monday’s observance comes at a notable point in Harrison County’s recent experience with fatal overdoses.
The latest complete annual figures published by the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy show 20 overdose fatalities occurred in Harrison County in 2024, down from 61 in 2023. That represents a decline of approximately 67% in a single year.
Looking farther back shows how significant that change was.
Harrison County recorded 58 overdose deaths in 2020 and 61 in 2021, according to West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy figures included in a regional community health assessment. The county recorded 48 deaths in 2022 before climbing back to 61 in 2023.
The five-year trend looks like this: 58 deaths in 2020, 61 in 2021, 48 in 2022, 61 in 2023 and 20 in 2024.
For four consecutive years beginning in 2020, Harrison County never recorded fewer than 48 fatal overdoses. The 2024 figure broke sharply from that pattern.
The improvement also exceeded what occurred statewide. West Virginia recorded 1,400 overdose fatalities in 2023 and 816 in 2024, a decline of about 42%, according to the state’s latest annual profile.
The numbers do not establish why Harrison County experienced such a large decline, and the state data do not attribute the change to any single program or policy.
They do, however, provide a snapshot of a local response that has grown to include wider naloxone availability, treatment services, recovery housing and outreach efforts.
The state’s latest Harrison County profile reports approximately 11,150 naloxone kits distributed in the county. It also lists 89 certified treatment beds and four certified recovery housing facilities. United Summit Center is identified as the county’s comprehensive behavioral health provider and West Virginia Prevention Solutions as its lead prevention organization.
Prescription opioid dispensing has also changed considerably over a longer period. Harrison County saw a 54.7% decline in opioid prescription drug dispensing between 2014 and 2024, according to the state.
Challenges remain despite the lower fatality count.
Fentanyl was present in 75% of Harrison County’s 2024 overdose fatalities, while methamphetamine was also present in 75%. More than one substance can be involved in the same overdose, meaning those percentages overlap.
The county also experienced an overdose spike alert in April 2026 after three suspected overdose incidents were reported within 24 hours, an indication that short-term increases can still occur even as longer-term fatality numbers improve.
That combination of progress and continuing risk is part of what Monday’s observance is designed to recognize.
The Remembrance Walk will give families and friends a public opportunity to honor people who have died, while the gathering afterward at Jackson Square will focus on the resources available to people currently struggling with substance use and those supporting them.
For anyone seeking treatment or support for substance use or mental health concerns, HELP4WV operates a free statewide service available 24 hours a day. Residents can call or text 1-844-HELP4WV, or 1-844-435-7498, to be connected with treatment, peer support and other resources.
International Overdose Awareness Day is observed each year on Aug. 31, with communities around the world using the day to remember those who have died while continuing efforts aimed at preventing future losses.
In Clarksburg, Monday will bring both parts of that mission together: remembering the people Harrison County has lost and making sure those who still need help know where they can find it.
