How Did Amy Winehouse Die?
The Details of Amy Winehouse's Death Are Almost Too Sad to Handle, Even 7 Years Later
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The coroner reached a "verdict of misadventure" in Amy's death. Three empty bottles of vodka were found in her bedroom, and a toxicology report explained that while Amy's blood alcohol level was more than five times the legal limit in the UK, there were no illegal substances in her body.
Because Amy had been in a pattern of abstaining from alcohol for weeks, then starting to drink again, the fatal amount of alcohol she consumed may have "stopped her breathing and sent her into a coma." A second inquest, done in 2013, confirmed that Amy's cause of death was an accidental alcohol poisoning. It was also believed that her ongoing struggles with bulimia contributed to her body's weakness and inability to fight back.
In the wake of her passing, Amy's breakout album Back to Black posthumously became the bestselling album in the UK in the 21st century. In 2015, the haunting documentary Amy was released and took home an Oscar for best documentary feature, as well as a Grammy for best music film and an MTV Movie Award for best documentary. Shortly after Amy's death, on what would have been her 28th birthday, her family set up the Amy Winehouse Foundation to help prevent young people from using drugs and alcohol and give them the resources to deal with emotional issues.