Amy Winehouse wasn’t on drugs at the time of her death, but she was drinking

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Just hours after Amy Winehouse’s death was made public, the British tabloids managed to get their hands on various crack dealers in and around Winehouse’s neighborhood, some of whom had sold Amy drugs in the past. They were looking to see when Amy had last bought, and they found one dealer who claimed that Amy had bought crack and heroin on her last night on earth. Most of us were like, “Yeah, that makes sense.” Amy’s family claimed that she wasn’t on drugs anymore, that her only problem was alcohol. Well, it’s looking like Amy’s family was right – the toxicology report has come out, and Amy didn’t have any drugs in her system when she died.

After her tragic death in July there was considerable speculation regarding the cause of Amy’s death. But today it has been announced that the toxicology results have been returned to the Winehouse family by authorities and confirm that there were no illegal substances in Amy’s system at the time of her death.

In statement released today a spokesperson for the family said: ‘Results indicate that alcohol was present but it cannot be determined as yet if it played a role in her death. The family would like to thank the police and coroner for their continuing thorough investigations and for keeping them informed throughout the process. They await the outcome of the inquest in October.’

Shortly after Amy’s death a London drug fixer claimed he helped Amy buy £1,200 of crack cocaine and heroin the night before she died. Tony Azzopardi alleged he helped the late singer buy the Class A narcotics in the early hours of July 23rd – the same day she was found dead in her London home. The 56-year-old, who was introduced to the tragic star by her ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, claimed he wanted her family to ‘know the truth about what happened’.

At Amy’s funeral shortly after her death her father Mitch Winehouse told mourners that his daughter had managed to kick her drink and drugs habits.

He told friends and family: ‘Three years ago, Amy conquered her drug dependency, the doctors said it was impossible but she really did it. She was trying hard to deal with her drinking and had just completed three weeks of abstinence. She said, “Dad, I’ve had enough of drinking. I can’t stand the look on your and the family’s faces any more”‘.

It was also at Amy’s funeral that Mitch outlined that he would like to do something in the singer’s name to help people who suffered with the same problems that Amy did.

Mitch said: ‘I was with my cousin Michael when I heard and straight away I said I wanted an Amy Winehouse Foundation, something to help the things she loved – children, horses, but also to help those struggling with substance abuse. In this country, if you cannot afford a private rehabilitation clinic, there is a two-year waiting list for help. With the help of Keith Vaz MP, we are trying to change that.’

But Mitch’s plans for a foundation have been scuppered by an opportunist who has already registered the name of the charity in the hope of cashing in. Uxbridge resident Martin McCann bought the web address Amywinehousefoundation.com and paid £160 to register the Amy Winehouse Foundation Ltd with Companies House on August 2. But he insists he is ‘not exploiting anything’ and advised critics to ‘detach yourself from emotions and think business’.

As a result, Mitch has now been forced to return donations to fans because he was unable to set up a bank account in that name. Plans have now been put on hold while solicitors try to rectify the situation.

On Saturday, Mitch revealed his anger and said: ‘We all have to bombard the tabloids websites to put pressure on this d******* who stole our foundation name. Instead of concentrating on allocating funding I am having to send cheques back cos we don’t haven’t got bank ac in that name. Mitch’ (sic)

[From The Mail]

I don’t know – I’m sure this will be fodder for some conspiracy theories, but I don’t have a problem with believing that Amy was only consuming alcohol on the night of her death. I tend to think her body simply gave up after years and years of alcohol and drug abuse, and Amy’s on-again/off-again teetotaling probably didn’t help either.

Poor Amy.

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Photos courtesy of Fame.

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48 Responses to “Amy Winehouse wasn’t on drugs at the time of her death, but she was drinking”

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  1. KittyKat says:

    BullSh**

  2. Pyewacket says:

    She is gone, does any of this matter at this point?

  3. Monie says:

    Kaiser, this is all semantics. Notice the statement says “illegal” substances. That doesnot rule out prescription drugs that celebs are biting the dust on lately. She could have been chock full of Oxy, Vicodin, etc. Very clever Mr. Winehouse…very clever.

  4. Lisa says:

    Is it just me or does that totally look like a figure of someone on the car’s window in the last picture right beside amy? I mean you can make out a tank top and an arm.

  5. Nanz says:

    Why don’t people believe that alcohol can kill you? It’s like they think that drugs alone are the problem. Addiction, whether it’s to drugs or alcohol, is deadly. I am so tired of addicts (ahem, Linnocent) thinking that as long as they are JUST drinking, they’ll be okay. So sad that she couldn’t recover from her alcoholism the way she did from her addiction to drugs. If only her death could be a wake up call to others who suffer from the disease of addiction.

  6. jc11 says:

    All she needed to be drinking was alcohol. Coming off of alcohol is extremely dangerous for alcoholics–risking strokes, seizures and heart attacks. Especially if she had a period of abstinence prior to her death, Winehouse would be at risk for such a reaction. It is so sad that such a talented person was afflicted by nasty disesase, but addiction is for real and nameless folks die just like her every day.

  7. Lady D says:

    My best friend downed a bottle of tequila,(all together now) passed out, vomited, died. She was 39 and left 3 young children behind.

  8. Marla says:

    I really miss Amy….rest with the angels dear.

  9. Embee says:

    “Uxbridge resident Martin McCann bought the web address Amywinehousefoundation.com and paid £160 to register the Amy Winehouse Foundation Ltd with Companies House on August 2. But he insists he is ‘not exploiting anything’ and advised critics to ‘detach yourself from emotions and think business’.”

    F you Mr. McCann.

  10. ladybert62 says:

    I find this difficult to believe and I hate her hair in those pictures (yea I know shallow of me since she is dead – but that is what I am – shallow).

  11. Annie says:

    I’m fairly certain unless she had a valid script for vicodin or oxy that would also be considered illegal.

  12. Rita says:

    @Monie

    “Illegal” was my first thought as well. Washing down perscriptions with booze will kill you just as easy. In any case, it is all so tragic and if she’s remembered as not dying from an overdose, that will be good.

  13. Ruby Red Lips says:

    I agree with Kaiser, she was apparently downing bottles of vodka on her drinking binges, and after years of abusing serious drugs I agree her body just gave out

    Still incredibly sad tho, such a waste 🙁

  14. 4Real says:

    So was it alchahol poisoning then? So sad she died alone in that state. Poor thing.

  15. the original bellaluna says:

    “No illegal drugs” does not also mean “no prescription drugs.” I realise some stuff (T3) is available OTC in Europe & England, but I’m sure RX stuff isn’t hard to obtain.

    As for the alcohol, that’s not really news, is it? I am so sad for Amy. I truly hope she’s at peace now.

    The dude who bought the name? Asshole. Profiteering asshole. May he be roasted in Hell on an hourly basis. *turns head, spits*

  16. Hautie says:

    I was thinking this implies that the cause of death was alcohol poisoning too. Basically drank herself into a coma.

    And was found moments before it completely shut her system down.

    I recall the EMT’s stated she was still barely breathing when they got there, but expired without moments of them attempting to revive her.

    And yes sadly, alcohol does kill.

  17. WillyNilly says:

    Couldn’t they just change the name of the foundation and beat the douche at his own game? Perhaps The Winehouse Foundation?

  18. bluhare says:

    @monie: SNAP!!! I thought that it was all a carefully worded statement that’s truthful as far as it goes as well. Can’t narcotics slow breathing? Not sure about prescriptions, but I know a morphine drip is given as people are terminal and refuse treatment as it slows breathing and people die faster.

  19. gee says:

    I feel bad for her, she was an addict and had everything she needed for help but just couldn’t get it together.

  20. meg says:

    I believe it. A few yrs back a wrestler with a drug abusing past died and everyone assumed it was the drugs. Turns out, he really was sober but he suffered a heart attack and died. His heart was damaged from previous drug use. Poor Amy- to get it together (or start to) and then have it come back to haunt in that way 🙁

  21. How sad. I have to admit, I really took her passing to heart.

    Alcohol alone can absolutely kill, especially chronic alcoholics. That’s why they keep beer in hospitals – alcohol withdraw is the only detox that can kill you.

    Given her size and her history of abuse, (she had alcohol induced/related seizures, didn’t she?) her system probably gave out after the constant bingeing/purging.

    That creep who established the foundation is the definition of an opportunist. I don’t put much stock in an afterlife, but if there is one, I’m sure there’s a special circle in Hell just waiting for him.

  22. Onyx XV says:

    “Results indicate that alcohol was present but it cannot be determined as yet if it played a role in her death.”

    I don’t know, I don’t get alcohol poisoning from that. The way it’s worded it sounds like it wasn’t a large quantity. The way they worded the statement about not finding any “illegal” drugs in her system is telling, however. She probably OD’ed like Heath Ledger or DJ AM – just not realizing how many (legal) pills she had taken.

  23. TheHeat says:

    I agree with several other posters, here. The tox report said “illegal” drugs. If there were no need to differentiate, why not just write that no drugs were present, illegal or otherwise? Seems a little fishy.

  24. Lantana says:

    There is a condition among some alcoholics called “kindling”. It means the more times you detox (quit), the more severe the withdrawal symptoms. If one drinks and quits and drinks and quits over and over, each time the withdrawal is harder on the body than the time before – in one who is affected with kindling, not all alcoholics are. (I think if one has a severe withdrawal the 1st time, it’s likely to be worse the 2nd and 3rd times [and 5th, 6th, 7th, etc]; if one has no withdrawal symptoms, that person probably isn’t subject to kindling.)

    So, it’s possible that her organs were just shot from the roller coaster ride of addiction, and they just shut down.

  25. gg says:

    Alcohol is just as much a poison as any other drug. Perhaps more so since it’s legal which makes it seem less dangerous.

  26. DemoCat says:

    All I know is that it’s very sad and is haunting me. 🙁

  27. Kim says:

    The fact that they use the term illegal drugs means she could have had numerous other legal prescription drugs in her system. Either way she died from her addiction which is very sad.

  28. Francesca says:

    Sounds like she was drinking on top of methadone or other prescription drug, they’re not illegal but the combination is lethal and will always off you in the end. Poor Amy, what a tragic needless loss of life, and contribution to music. I can’t believe we’ll hear nothing more from her. As for Mr McCann, the word twunt springs to mind. RIP Amy xxx

  29. Seal Team 6 says:

    Alcohol IS a drug, and a toxic, deadly one to some people. She may also have had scripts for certain drugs, so they weren’t illegal substances.

  30. Beautrice says:

    Where I come from, it is bad to talk abt d dead in a negative manner. All I can say is: RIP Amy!

  31. Joe's Mom says:

    Poor Amy, what a loss. And as far as the “non-exploiting” Martin McCann goes, he quickly scoops up the name “Amywinehousefoundation.com” and pays $250 for it, hoping he could exploit Amy’s name and steal any money dontated, before people were any wiser. That didn’t work, but now,(still thinking “business”) he will probably propose selling the name BACK to Amy’s Dad for a cool $2.5 MILLION, or so.

  32. Cherry Rose says:

    I miss Amy and her beehive. =[

    Damn. I’m sad all over again.

  33. Darlene says:

    Key word: ILLEGAL.

  34. Moops says:

    Yes, yes, yes… the qualifier “illegal” is the key. These celebs can get whatever scrips they want for painkillers. They may be “legal” but they’re just as deadly as any illegal drug.

  35. Palermo says:

    let’s not forget she was clearly anorexic for a long time, she probably damaged her heart that way too

  36. sandy#1 says:

    so sad, RIP Amy, she was talented, but lonely, and troubled.

  37. tripmom says:

    Has anyone considered the fact that Mitch Winehouse may be lying? This report came from the Winehouse family but has not been confirmed by any other source. Amy’s dad claimed she wasn’t drinking at all and that she died from withdrawal because she gave up alcohol too fast, and now here there’s proof that she was still drinking. I think that in his zeal to preserve her legacy he is either deluded or just outright lying about what happened.

  38. Val says:

    Exactly, tripmom. Until someone shows the toxicology report or an official statement from Scotland Yard, I don’t believe the family.

  39. Rooo says:

    I wouldn’t say I am surprised. But the thing I don’t get is no one bothered to talk about Amy when she was alive and living, now that she is dead I doubt it matters anymore anyways. Maybe the Band Perry is right, no ever listens to you until you are a goner. Everyone sure loves to talk positive about you when you are dead but never when your alive.

  40. ElleGin says:

    So what she died of drug abuse? So what she didn’t? She had a horrible past of drug and alcohol abuse, anorexia, emotional instability, etc. Everything played a role in her death, and so what if her Dad wants to lie about how his daughter, whom he raised as a baby to adult hood but couldn’t prevent her from going bonkers and help her in time?

    If he wants to believe that his daughter didn’t take drugs when she passed, then let him. If he wants the rest of the world to believe that she was clean when she passed, then I believe him. It’s not like he said that drug and alcohol won’t kill a person.

    The guy that stole the name is just retarded, what is he going to do with the foundation now? People will bring it down the moment they smell something fishy (fraud?).

  41. the original bellaluna says:

    bluhare – Yes. Narcotics absolutely slow breathing/heart-rate. PRESCRIPTION narcotics, at that.

    Rooo, we did talk about Amy. We felt sorry for her and hoped she would get the help she so desparately needed. We rejoiced when she stayed in the islands for such a long time, and seemed so healthy.

    There was ABSOLUTELY. NOTHING. funny (or even make-funnable) about her “performance” in whatever country she was in last.

    It was AWFUL. And sad. And if you read those comments, they will reflect that.

  42. Amanda G says:

    She may not have been on drugs at the time, but drugs did play a long term role in her death. She was clearly still a heavy drinker as well with all the recent footage of her performing drunk. So sad. A life wasted!

  43. Addie says:

    I wish celeb families would be honest when reporting how they died.
    Sure it is sad and embarrasing to admitt drug use, but it could save many lives in the longrun by spreading awareness.

  44. sauvage says:

    Actually, alcohol IS a drug.

  45. Mary Jane says:

    I miss Amy and am sad she died. I would have loved to have heard some new music…

  46. laura says:

    poor Amy? would anyone be saying poor Lindsay if she did the same? yes she was talented but she knew what she was doing that day

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