Amherst sits in Erie County, where detox and substance use disorder treatment programs are certified and regulated by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), the state’s lead agency for addiction and problem gambling services. OASAS licenses detox and withdrawal management programs under Part 819, residential rehabilitation under Part 820, and all outpatient programs, including opioid treatment programs, under a unified outpatient regulation.
Erie County’s Department of Health tracks overdose trends through its Office of Harm Reduction, and recent data shows the county’s overdose pattern shifting. Deaths involving both opioids and cocaine together, once the dominant pattern, have declined sharply since 2023, while deaths involving cocaine alone and other substances like methamphetamine and benzodiazepines have risen. People between the ages of 40 and 49 remain the most affected age group locally.
Anyone comparing how to choose a detox center should know the area has several outpatient medication-assisted treatment providers close by, including the STAR Program at Sisters of Charity Hospital’s Amherst location and the Beacon Center on Sheridan Drive. New York’s toll-free HOPEline (1-877-8-HOPENY) connects residents anywhere in Erie County to treatment referrals and crisis support around the clock. Statewide, New York distributed hundreds of thousands of naloxone kits in 2024 alone as part of a broader effort that has contributed to a sharp decline in overdose deaths.
