Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of death and substance abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
According to People Magazine, a coroner ruled Amy Winehouse’s cause of death was “alcohol toxicity” after she died from accidental alcohol poisoning in 2011. The English singer’s death occurred in a bedroom of her home in Camden, north London, on July 23. The Independent stated that paramedics found her dead alongside empty vodka bottles in her flat. The singer won five Grammys in 2008, but her music career tragically ended when she died at 27.
Winehouse’s toxicology report revealed her blood alcohol level was more than five times the legal limit. BBC stated that at the time of her death, she had 416mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood. Reportedly, coroner Suzanne Greenaway, while ruling Winehouse’s cause of death, claimed that 350 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood is the fatal level, and the singer’s was way beyond that.
Before her death, Amy Winehouse had struggled with alcohol and drug addiction for several years while in her 20s, per People Magazine. Nonetheless, Winehouse had made a significant recovery after numerous rehab stints and a few near-death experiences. In the final years of her life, she had been clean from hard drugs and was recuperating from her alcoholism. However, she relapsed, which ultimately resulted in her death.
The 2015 documentary Amy looks into the life and iconic music career of Amy Winehouse. It comprises archival footage and personal accounts of those close to the singer.
Amy Winehouse’s cause of death: Did the singer struggle with drug and alcohol addiction?
People Magazine reported that Amy Winehouse was already struggling with drug and alcohol addiction when she first rose to prominence in her early 20s. According to ABC News, during several interviews, Winehouse revealed that she suffered from manic depression and an eating disorder. During these interviews, the singer also spoke about often engaging in self-harm.
Throughout her music career, Winehouse went to several rehab stints. However, each time, she left the program early. While talking to The Times in a 2021 interview, her close friend Tyler James said, “Amy was a girl in her 20s suffering from addiction, and everybody was a part of it. Everybody was watching it.”
James also addressed Winehouse’s rehab stints and her struggles which were always in the public eye. He said, “When you go to rehab, you have to be the strongest you’ve ever been in your life when you are the weakest you’ve ever been in your life. And she had to go through that in front of people.”
During Amy Winehouse’s cause of death inquest, her doctor, Christina Romete, claimed she visited her before her death. Per People Magazine, Romete said she met Winehouse the night before she died. At the time, the singer seemed “calm” and was “able to hold a conversation” with her doctor despite being “tipsy.”
BBC further stated that Dr. Romete, who had been treating Winehouse in the years leading up to her death, claimed the singer expressed uncertainty that she would stop drinking. But, the physician claimed, “She [Amy Winehouse] didn’t want to die, she was looking forward to the future. She had her own way and was very determined to do everything her own way.”
Additionally, Winehouse’s stepmother, Jane Winehouse, claimed they were shocked to hear the news of the 27-year-old’s death. They believed she was recovering from her addiction, per The Independent. Jane told the outlet, “She did get off drugs for a couple of years and the alcohol sadly kicked in.”
Jane said Winehouse “did that pretty much herself. She thought she could do the same with alcohol. Towards the end, the gaps – the periods of sobriety – were getting longer.” Her stepmother claimed they “thought she was going to pull through” and “beat it.”
According to BBC, during Amy Winehouse’s inquest hearing, the court heard that she had consumed alcohol for three weeks until July 22, 2011.
