| The death of Amy Winehouse |
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After the death of singer Amy Winehouse there was much speculation in the newspapers that she had died of an overdose of illicit drugs. Ketamine, ecstasy and cocaine were named. Ketamine and ecstasy are not typically associated with fatality with a tiny amount of people dying from them compared to the number of users. Cocaine is the most dangerous of these three drugs due its effect on the heart. However her father said at the time that she had given up illicit drugs over a year ago before, but was still struggling with alcohol addiction. Police found no evidence of illicit drug use in her flat nor were any traces of such drugs found in her body. However, three empty vodka bottles were found next to her bed. Her family believed that she had died of seizure due to alcohol withdrawal. If an alcoholic suddenly stops drinking this can lead to a condition called delirium tremens which can be fatal. Amy Winehouse was taking medication to combat the effects of alcohol withdrawal, but this was not found to be the cause of death. Prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to liver damage and a heavy bout of drinking can lead to liver failure and death. Amy Winehouse’s liver showed some fatty tissue indicating alcohol damage although not enough to be fatal. The key factor is determining the cause of her death was her blood alcohol concentration. She was found to have 416mg of alcohol per decilitre of blood, which is an extremely high level. She may have developed a tolerance to alcohol which would allow her to drink more while feeling less effects of intoxication. Alcohol has a powerful depressive effect on the central nervous system which contributes to the enjoyable effect for many people. At lower doses, alcohol impairs motor control and judgement. At very high doses lungs start to become paralysed in what is known as respiratory depression. If this becomes severe enough the brain will become starved of oxygen and the person will die. The coroner ruled that Amy Winehoue died simply from drinking too much alcohol on this single occasion. There was nothing to suggest that her death was related to illicit drugs or previous damage to her body. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-15453517 http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/oct/26/amy-winehouse-verdict-misadventure |