Cattaraugus County Sheriff Eric Butler’s comments a “disappointment”
An opinion by Marie Irving, Altamont, NY
As someone who grew up in neighboring Allegany County and as the mother of a child who benefits from Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), I read Sheriff Butler’s recent commentary with disappointment.
I understand and even share some frustration with unfunded state mandates. Local governments should not be expected to shoulder significant costs without adequate support. Reasonable people can debate how programs are funded and who should pay for them.
What struck me, however, was that the example chosen was Medication-Assisted Treatment for incarcerated individuals with opioid use disorder. As the mother of a child who has benefited from MAT, I cannot help but see that issue through a different lens.
When we talk about methadone and buprenorphine, we are not simply talking about government mandates or budget lines. We are talking about evidence-based medical treatments that help people survive opioid addiction. We are talking about keeping sons and daughters, parents and grandparents, neighbors and coworkers alive.
Families who have lived through addiction know that recovery is rarely simple. Many of us have spent sleepless nights wondering if the next phone call would bring devastating news. For families in that position, Medication-Assisted Treatment is not an abstract policy debate. It can be the difference between life and death.
The people receiving MAT in our county jails are not abstractions. They are members of families who hope they return home healthier, safer, and better prepared to rebuild their lives.
The sheriff writes that whether people support or oppose MAT is “almost beside the point.” For families whose loved ones have been helped by treatment, it is not beside the point. It is the point.
We can have honest conversations about funding, local control, and state mandates. But those conversations should not lose sight of the people whose lives are affected. When public officials discuss addiction treatment, they have an opportunity to reduce stigma, promote recovery, and recognize the value of proven medical care.
I hope future discussions of MAT will include not only the costs of treatment, but also its benefits, measured in lives saved, families preserved, and futures restored.
