blackberry email devices can be so addictive that owners may need to be weaned off them with treatment similar to that given to drug users, experts warned today.
They said the palmtop gadgets, which have been nicknamed 'crackberries' because users quickly become hooked on them, could be seriously damaging to mental health.
The study, carried out by New Jersey's Rutgers University School, claims the Blackberry is fuelling a rise in email and internet addiction, with sufferers able to survive only a few minutes without checking for new mail.
One key sign of a user being addicted is if they focus on their Blackberry ignoring those around them.
The gadget, which combines a phone with internet access, was launched in 1999 and quickly hailed a lifesaver, allowing fraught businessmen to access their emails anywhere.
It quickly gained a huge celebrity fanbase which includes chef Gordon Ramsay, footballer Freddie Ljungberg and model Lizzie Jagger.
But the effects of becoming addicted to the device can be 'devastating', said Professor Gayle Porter who led the study.
She added: 'Employers provide programmes to help workers with chemical or substance addictions. 'Addiction to technology can be equally damaging to a worker's mental health'.