Amy Winehouse: Lethal levels of alcohol

Amy Winehouse died of an overdose of alcohol, a British coroner ruled Wednesday, and not as a result of alcohol withdrawal as her parents maintained.

The blues singer, who was found dead in her bed in her London home on July 23 at age 27, died of alcohol poisoning said Coroner Suzanne Greenaway, noting that Winehouse had more than five times the British drunk driving limit.

Greenaway 's report lists the cause of her death as "death by misadventure."

Alcohol poisoning is usually the result of binge drinking, experts tell Associated Press. Winehouse is thought to have died when she resumed drinking after weeks of sobriety.

Her bedroom was littered with empty vodka bottles.

"The unintended consequence of such potentially fatal levels (of alcohol) was her sudden and unexpected death," Greenaway said.

Winehouse had a highly-publicized battle with drugs and alcohol throughout her brief career which included the release of only two studio albums, Frank (2003) and Back to Black (2006).

Pathologist Suhail Baithun told the inquest into Winehouse's death that Winehouse had consumed a "very large quantity of alcohol." The level of alcohol in her blood was 416 milligrams per 100 milliliters, he said, a blood alcohol level of 0.4 percent.

The British and U.S. legal drunk-driving limit is 0.08 percent.

Baithun said such levels could have stopped the singer's breathing, resulting in coma and death.

Winehouse family rep Chris Goodman said Winehouse's parents are relieved "to finally find out what happened to Amy."

He added, "the court heard that Amy was battling hard to conquer her problems with alcohol and it is a source of great pain to us that she could not win in time."