Mitch Winehouse begs government to revamp rehab centres

Published on Monday 1 August 2011 17:07

THE father of Amy Winehouse has pleaded with the government to reform drug rehabilitation centres for youngsters in memory of his daughter.

The singer's battles with drink and drugs before her death last month led Mitch Winehouse to make a plea to politicians for better services for addicts.

"This isn't only important to me, this is important to our whole country," he said.

With the last specialist NHS rehabilitation centre for youngsters closing last year, Mr Winehouse urged crime minister James Brokenshire and Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee, to consider a "reallocation of resources".

Mr Winehouse said: "There's hundreds of thousands of young people in situations today that could be avoided, and these are our future policemen, doctors and lawyers and solicitors that we could help. We need to be able to help our children."

After his meeting with Mr Winehouse, Mr Vaz said it seemed the "level of support is not there" after last year's closure of Middlegate rehabilitation centre in Nettleton, Lincolnshire.

Mr Vaz said he was grateful for the meeting with Mr Winehouse, saying he "spoke from his heart". The MP said his committee would "look again" at recommendations it made to the government after hearing previous evidence from Mr Winehouse in October 2009.

Following this and other hearings, the committee published a report in 2010 saying it was "perturbed by reports that access to residential rehabilitation was not as readily available" and that "addicts in a chaotic environment could benefit from periods of stable, residential treatment".

Following his private meeting with Mr Brokenshire, a Home Office spokeswoman said "points that are raised will be considered".

Mr Vaz said he offered deep condolences on behalf of himself and the committee for the "terrible, tragic" death of Winehouse, "who was a great British musician".

After meeting Mr Vaz in the Houses of Parliament, Mr Winehouse said he sensed "a willingness to perhaps change the way things are being done".

He said he wanted to keep busy following his daughter's death, adding: "I want to involve myself in things that would be important to Amy. That is why we are setting up the Amy Winehouse Foundation."

The foundation would help "the things she loved", including children and horses, but would also aid those struggling with substance abuse, he said.

Winehouse, 27, was found dead at her flat in north London on 23 July.Her multiple Grammy award-winning album Back To Black has topped the UK album charts and five of her singles are in the top 40.

The singer's family is awaiting the results of toxicology tests to establish the cause of her death.

Sarah Graham, an ex-cocaine abuser and addiction expert, went to the meeting with Mr Winehouse and said any rehabilitation centre in Amy's name should be government-funded.