Music news of 2010: Amy Winehouse Died From Drinking Too Much Alcohol

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Amy Winehouse Died From Drinking Too Much Alcohol

British coroner says singer had five times legal driving limit in her body at time of death.
By Gil Kaufman

Amy Winehouse
Photo: Barry Brecheisen/ WireImage

Amy Winehouse died as a result of drinking too much alcohol. That's the conclusion reached by a British coroner, whose investigation determined that the "Rehab" singer had more than five times the legal driving limit of alcohol in her body at the time of her July 23 death, ruling it "death by misadventure."

According to the Guardian, the results were delivered as part of an official inquest into the singer's death being held in London on Wednesday (October 26). Coroner Suzanne Greenway said, "She had consumed sufficient alcohol at 416 mg per deciliter [of blood] and the unintended consequence of such potentially fatal levels was her sudden and unexpected death."

Winehouse, 27, who famously struggled with drug and alcohol addiction during her short life and rapid rise to fame, was found in her bed in her London apartment in July, and police said they discovered three bottles of vodka at the scene. The inquest found no sign of illegal drugs in her system, and a postmortem examination of her body found her vital organs in good health. The amount of alcohol in her system was enough to stop her breathing and possibly send her into a coma, according to officials. Winehouse was not breathing when she was found by her security guard.

After initial autopsy results were inconclusive, the Grammy-winning singer's father, Mitch Winehouse, said his daughter had been drug-free for some time, suggesting that it was alcohol withdrawal that had killed her.

According to Us magazine, Winehouse's doctor, Christina Romete, said that the "Back to Black" star had started drinking again in the days before her death after a long period of abstinence. She had apparently suffered a relapse just one day before her body was found.

Father Mitch, mother Janis and brother Alex were on hand when the toxicology results were announced. A family spokesperson said, "This is closure of sorts but I don't think they are relying on this verdict. ... They are a very close family and they know how Amy was in the days before her death."

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