PORTSMOUTH — Two hundred nineteen flags now stand outside Portsmouth Town Hall, each representing a Rhode Islander who died from an opioid overdose in 2025.

The temporary display, installed Friday, will remain in place through Sept. 3 in recognition of International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31.

The flags were arranged by the Newport County Prevention Coalition, which has made the display an annual tradition in Portsmouth. The town council voted unanimously Aug. 24 to allow the flags to be displayed at Town Hall.

“This has become a meaningful annual tradition,” Sophia Domingoes, the coalition’s opioid project coordinator, wrote in a July 27 letter to the council. “We greatly appreciate the Town's continued support in recognizing those we have lost, supporting those impacted by substance use, and raising awareness within our community.”

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Domingoes and Georgie Allott, coordinator for the Portsmouth Prevention Coalition, told the council that Rhode Island’s overdose fatality rate decreased by nearly 34 percent from the previous year, resulting in 219 flags this year.

Despite the improvement, Domingoes said the number of lives represented by the flags underscores the continuing impact of the opioid crisis on Rhode Island families and communities.

The display is intended not only to remember those who died, but also to raise awareness about substance use and support people and families affected by addiction.

Council Vice President David Gleason made the motion to approve the display, suggesting that the town give the coalition annual approval for the memorial. The council approved the request, 7-0.