According to Mitch Winehouse, Amy’s father, she has one year drug free after treatment. He was testifying today before the Home Affairs Select Committee regarding a number of interviews he has done with the families of drug abusers. He is doing a documentary about the state of drug treatment in England. He has claimed to have evidence that some addicts who’s families cannot afford the kind of treatment that he was able to get for Amy, have resorted to committing crimes in hope that a rehab program will be given to them for free at sentencing. Here is a portion of his testimony that can be found on-line at MailOnline. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1221645/Amy-Winehouses-father-advises-MPs-rehab-drug-addicts.html
“ ’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.
‘This happened to my son-in-law (Amy Winehouse’s estranged husband, Blake Fielder-Civil) when, as part of his sentence, the judge offered him a period in residential rehab.
‘So we have a situation where a non-offending addict and his family are looking for help and there are very few resources available to them.’If you don’t want to recover you have little chance but if you do want to you have an excellent chance.’The people who go into prison and then go into rehab, I am sure some of them want to recover but I am also sure a lot of them don’t want to recover.’
Before today’s hearing, the former taxi driver said: ‘Hopefully it’s going to open people’s eyes. Last year the Government spent £400 million on drug rehabilitation, and yet if anybody wants to come off drugs voluntarily there’s very little help available.’ The NHS has a one-year waiting list. The vast majority of money is being taken up by the criminal justice system such as burglars who are offered residential treatment as an alternative to prison. ‘Anecdotally, people have actually committed crimes because it’s the only hope of getting any kind of rehab.’ “
