luisah's: Amy Winehouse Had 'No Illegal Substances' In Her System

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Amy Winehouse Had 'No Illegal Substances' In Her System

Citing toxicology results, Winehouse family says 'Rehab' singer's cause of death remains inconclusive.
By James Montgomery

Amy Winehouse
Photo: Getty Images

No illegal drugs were found in Amy Winehouse's system when the "Rehab" singer died last month, according to a statement from her family.

Spokesperson Chris Goodman said in a release on Tuesday (August 23) that "toxicology results returned to the Winehouse family by authorities have confirmed that there were no illegal substances in Amy's system and the time of her death."

Goodman added that while toxicology results indicated that alcohol was present in Winehouse's system, "it cannot be determined as yet it if played a role in her death."

The statement concluded, "The family would like to thank police and coroner for their continuing thorough investigations and for keeping them informed throughout the process. They await the outcome of the inquest [into Winehouse's death] in October."

A spokesperson for Winehouse could not be reached for comment by MTV News at press time.

Winehouse, 27, was found dead in her Camden, London, home on July 23, and after an initial autopsy proved inconclusive, London police announced that additional toxicology tests would be needed to determine the cause of death. According to several reports, those close to the singer believed that alcohol withdrawal may have been to blame, as Winehouse had recently given up drinking cold turkey. Furthermore, "[Amy's father, Mitch] said doctors had told Amy to gradually reduce her intake of alcohol and to avoid bingeing at all costs. Amy told him she couldn't do that ... and she gave up completely. Mitch said the shock of giving up, after everything she had been through over a bad few years, was just too much for her to take."

Winehouse had famously struggled with drugs and alcohol during her meteoric rise to fame, but following her death, Mitch Winehouse said that his daughter had been free of drugs for nearly three years.

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