Alcohol Detox Could Have Prevented Amy Winehouse's Death

With the news last week that Amy Winehouse died from acute alcohol poisoning, many are saying that the British singer’s death could have been prevented with alcohol detox and alcohol treatment. The "Back to Black" singer was found dead last July in the bedroom of her London home. Winehouse had long struggled with addictions to drugs and alcohol, and in the days prior to her death at age 27 had started to drink once again.

Winehouse was, unfortunately, destroying not only her career, but her health with her drinking. The coroner labeled Winehouse’s death a "death by misadventure," but many believe that alcohol detox could have saved Winehouse long before she spiraled out of control. At the time of her death, several empty vodka bottles were found near her body. Her blood contained 416 milligrams of alcohol and her blood alcohol level was 0.4%. The legal drunk driving limit in Britain and the United States is 0.08%, meaning that Winehouse had far too much alcohol in her system and this contributed to her death.

"Most people don’t realize that alcohol can kill you if taken in large enough doses," said Dr. Scott T. Walters, an addiction expert and a professor of behavioral and community health at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. Alcohol is a depressant that can affect the body’s respiration and heart rate, leading to death.

If Winehouse had successfully completed an alcohol detox program, her body would have stabilized from all of the alcohol and she could begin an active alcohol treatment program. Winehouse’s death is tragic because she was a talented celebrity, but despite her celebrity status, her struggle with addiction only highlights the issue of alcohol poisoning and addiction. Hopefully, Winehouse’s death will not be in vain, and people can learn that alcohol detox and alcohol treatment are the only way out of the misery of addiction.