Winehouse Family Hopes To Set Up Drug Rehab Center

LONDON (CBS4) — The family of Amy Winehouse is seeking political backing to set up a drug rehabilitation center in her name.

The late singer's father, Mitch Winehouse, met British politicians Monday to discuss setting up a treatment center for young people.

Opposition Labour politician Keith Vaz promised him lawmakers would look at the issue, saying he was grateful to Winehouse's father for speaking "from his heart, drawing on his experiences" during the talks.

Drug treatment in the UK is currently offered through local health bodies, or at expensive private clinics. Rehabilitation workers say there is often a waiting list for the local bodies, while private facilities are unaffordable for many.

After the meeting Winehouse said he wanted to "keep busy" and get involved in things that would have been important to his daughter.

"That is why we are going to be setting up the Amy Winehouse Foundation," he said. "This isn't only important to me, this is important to our whole country.

"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."

Amy Winehouse, who had struggled for years with drug and alcohol addiction, was found dead at her London home on July 23. The results of toxicology tests to determine the cause of death are due later this month.

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