Amy Winehouse 'drug-free for year', says dad

Singer Amy Winehouse has not taken drugs for a year, her father has told a parliamentary committee.

Mitch Winehouse was speaking at the third evidence session in the home affairs committee's inquiry into sales and uses of cocaine.

The former taxi driver made the comments while criticising the drug rehabilitation options available to those seeking treatment.

'We were very fortunate - we were able to afford the best doctors, clinical psychologists, rehabilitation and hospitals [for Amy],' Mr Winehouse explained.

'We're making a film about people who can't afford it and unfortunately we found there are very few facilities and very little help available for people like that.'

In damning testimony in Westminster, Mr Winehouse claimed problems were exacerbated by the majority of drug treatment funding being allocated to the criminal justice system, with free residential rehab offered to offenders.

'Anecdotally, people are definitely committing offences so they can have a chance, and it's only a chance, of receiving treatment,' he added.

'The biggest impact on families is that there is very little help available to them, especially if their relative is a non-offending addict.

'Their first port of call will be the GP and then they will refer them on to the local health authority.

'The problem that we have found in our research in London is that there is a period of a year before any treatment can be given. It's very difficult, and the reason for this is the majority of funding is taken up by the criminal justice system.'

Mr Winehouse's comments were dismissed by the National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA), which said 93 per cent of drug users seeking help were aided within three weeks.

'Drug treatment in England has never been more available to members of the public who need it,' said chief executive Paul Hayes.

'We think it is important that the public knows that, if they or a family member needs help, they can get it on the NHS.'

Steve Rolles, head of research at the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, told the Guardian celebrity drug usage was not necessarily indicative of the UK as a whole.

'It's a red herring and reflects politicians' concerns with tabloid obsessions more than anything else,' he said.

'There are drug wars in Colombia and we must move on from what Amy Winehouse does on her weekends.'

After a long spell out of the public eye, Amy Winehouse recently appeared on BBC1's Strictly Come Dancing, singing backing vocals for her teenage goddaughter Dionne Bromfield.