New research finds that mobile phones are as addictive as cigarettes among young people. Psychologist Dr David Sheffield, the lead author of the research said that the constant habit of being attached to their mobile phones was causing stress among youngsters.

His study found that one in seven became restless if they were away from their phone for a long time, while 14 per cent would be willing to lie to hide the exact time spent on their mobiles. "This is addictive behaviour. You might ask how people can get hooked on mobile phones but you would probably see similar responses if you took away someone's car. They are part of everyday life," Dr Sheffield said. "Getting phone calls can make you feel better about yourself - give you greater self-esteem. Whereas not getting calls can make you feel down or less important."

He tested the blood pressure of 20 students as they yakked on their mobiles and found that the reading was normal when they were without the phones, but shot up once they started talking on it. In another test 106 students answered questionnaires on their mobiles. 16% had problems with the phones, the researcher said.