THE family of a promising young student nurse found hanged in his bedroom blame his cannabis addiction for causing the depression that led to his suicide.

Stephen Breheny hanged himself using a tie attached to a clothes rail in his bedroom.

The 22-year-old had used cannabis since his late teens and smoked it every day in the two weeks before his death, an inquest was told.
His parents, Stephen and Marian, of Unsworth, Bury, believe his depression was induced by the drug, which was downgraded by former Home Secretary David Blunkett from Class B to Class C, in line with steroids and some prescription anti-depressants.

Now, backed by a mental health charity, they are calling for more to be done to investigate links between cannabis use and mental illnesses.

Their plea follows a report published earlier this month that revealed prolonged cannabis use doubled the risk of developing mental illnesses.

The study prompted the Department of Health to announce a major review of all academic and clinical studies linking cannabis use to mental health problems.

Marian said that Stephen had never been in trouble with the police and was a practising Roman Catholic.

He enjoyed religious retreats and had travelled to Rome to see the late Pope John Paul II on a World Youth Day in 2000.

"We believe that cannabis was a directly-contributing factor towards his death," she said, "and no one will ever convince me otherwise.

"He was a perfectly healthy and happy young man until he started to use cannabis.

"Eventually, it caused his depression and he was smoking it to heal himself. There are a lot of young people out there killing themselves through drug use and much more needs to be done to raise awareness.

"Depression is an illness that creeps up on you - it is so slow. We believe cannabis caused the depression and more should be done to investigate its links with mental illnesses."

Mental health charity Rethink has been calling for a definitive study on the long-term affects of cannabis.

Paul Farmer, its director of public affairs, said: "The tragic case of Stephen Breheny shows how important it is that the risks of cannabis are better understood and publicised, particularly among young people. We support the Breheny family's call for further investigation of this issue.

"It's time for a national awareness campaign so that no more lives are lost and families devastated."

Stephen was training at Salford University to be a nurse and worked on placement at Prestwich Hospital.

The inquest in Bury was told he had cut his wrists and tried to commit suicide before. He had been drinking and had taken a quantity of anti-depressant drugs on the night he died last December. Efforts to revive him failed and he later died in hospital.

Stephen was first diagnosed with depression and put on medication in November, 2003. But his family believe his problems started a few years before and told the inquest that he found his problems hard to discuss.

"We think the cannabis use started when he was 17," said his mother.

"He was not open about it at the beginning. It was only when he became ill that he was open about it. When he stopped smoking it for a few weeks, you could tell the difference. But when he had a smoke he would be a different person.

"Stephen was very easy-going, full of life and had lots of friends.

"He was the life and soul of the party and will be sadly missed."

Coroner Simon Nelson recorded a verdict that Stephen took his own life because he was suffering from a depressive illness.

He said: "It is clear Stephen possessed many qualities and was a caring and considerate young man who had a lot to offer. If ever there is an indication as to the harmful consequences of cannabis, then it is here. It is clear that studies have shown cannabis use impairs functions."

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