Thanks to LG Electronics Worldwide, drunk dialing — often humiliating, drunken calls to friends, ex-girlfriends and worse yet, parents — is a thing of the past, at least in some countries.

Earlier this year, LG released a cell phone in Great Britain and South Korea that included a built-in breathalyzer for measuring callers’ blood alcohol content. The goal of the breathalyzer in the phone is to put an end to embarrassing drunken phone calls and, more importantly, deadly drunken driving.

The user can program the phone to require a breath test before dialing certain numbers. When the user’s blood-alcohol level is above .08, the legal driving limit in the United States, the number will be blocked. The phone also displays an animation of a car crash to remind users with a high BAC to call a designated driver, according to LG spokeswoman Demetra Kavadeles.

Despite the success of the phones in South Korea and Great Britain, the phones will not be introduced stateside in the near future, Kavadeles said, adding “there are no plans for 2007.”

Kavadeles said instead, LG’s U.S. division is focusing on “all-in-one devices rather than breathalyzers.” She added LG has recently incorporated mp3 players and other media devices into their cell phones.

Contrary to accusations that the phone is just a marketing ploy, Kavadeles said the phone is actually meant to deter drunk driving.

“The breathalyzer is not a joke or a gimmick,” she said. “The breathalyzer is made to help people not drink and drive.”

Ralph Hingson, professor at the Boston University School of Public Health, said important questions need to be answered before the cell phone becomes a reliable method for testing BAC.

“The purposes behind it seem to be reasonable,” Hingson said. “The main questions are: Does it work? Is it accurate? How long will it stay accurate? Are people using it for the reason intended?”

He said he does not want to see widespread use of the phone until it is proven to work beyond reasonable doubt, adding that people consuming alcohol must know their limits and learn the danger of drunk driving.

“It is important for people to learn what amount of drinking gets them to different blood alcohol levels,” he stressed.

Hingson said a phone with a breathalyzer could be a useful tool to combat drunk driving and compared the phone to ignition interlocks which require drivers to test their BAC before they are able to start their car. In New Mexico, people convicted of driving under the influence must install the device before reclaiming their driver’s license.

“Half of the people who die in crashes involving alcohol between 18 and 24 are people other than the drinking driver,” Hingson said. “[The phone] is worth exploring, technologies are improving all the time.”