Tragic Death of a Young Star

Saturday July 23rd, 2011 an overwhelming amount of news feeds as well as Television channels broke the story that singer and songwriter, Amy Winehouse, 27, had passed away. Not knowing the cause, many assumed the infamous, \”rehab\” songstress passed from her many years of partying with drugs and alcohol, and so it began as facebook and twitter were eclipsed by the massive amounts of \”RIP\” posts from friends, fans and fellow artists. It was 2007 when the world first heard the poppy, yet entrancing \”Rehab\” from Amy Winehouse. From then on the artist, whom was most often captured by paparazzi disheveled and falling down or on stage with a drink in hand, was plagued as the party girl addict who made a living off of her situation and not wanting to go to rehab, \”no, no, no\”. However, if you\’ve ever listened to any other of Ms. Winehouses\’ other lyrical masterpieces, you would find that several of her songs revolve around drugs and alcohol, such as the songs \’Addicted\” \”Alcoholic Logic\” or \”He Can Only Hold Her\” where Amy sings \”the lights are on but no one is here- she so vacant her soul is taken. . . what\’s inside her never dies\” and we begin to catch a glimpse of the girl who acknowledges her disease and fears the very situation that brought her into the public eye. To date there is no official cause of death released to the press. Family of the artist contribute her untimely death to Acute Alcohol Withdrawal. Acute Alcohol Withdrawal occurs when one suddenly has stopped the use of large amounts of alcohol, usually cold turkey, as they say Ms. Winehouse did. However, acute alcohol withdrawal is usually fatal within its first 2-4 days from first cessation. It is rumored Amy was nearly 30 days clean of Alcohol. In any case whether it was drugs or alcohol that brought Amy Winehouse to her demise, thousands of individuals, young and old, die from overdoses and addiction on a daily basis, many in your backyard which go untalked about, unheard of. From 2006-2008 overdoses accounted for over 650 deaths alone in Allegheny county, since then, especially this year, those numbers have been skyrocketing. So why is it that it takes someone on the cover of magazines to bring addiction to the forefront of our society for a single day? Furthermore, why is it that death by addiction inducts young artists into clubs, such as \”the 27 club\” where you are glorified and remembered along with names like Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin when millions have passed from this disease that go nameless. Whatever the reason or explanation may be, take every day to educate others on the disease of addiction, for it may be affecting a family member, a friend, a significant other unknowingly at this very moment. Embrace addiction and the DISEASE it is. Rise up and be the difference you wish to see.