(AHN)-Experts warn that 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.

The study, carried out by New Jersey's Rutgers University School, claims the Blackberry is fueling a rise in email and internet addiction, with sufferers able to survive only a few minutes without checking for new mail. The study finds the palmtop gadgets, which have been nicknamed "crackberries" because users quickly become hooked on them, could be seriously damaging to mental health.

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.

However, Professor Gayle Porter who led the study, tells the Daily Mail, the effects of becoming addicted to the device can be 'devastating,' adding that, "Employers provide programs to help workers with chemical or substance addictions. Addiction to technology can be equally damaging to a worker's mental health."