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There's a new gadget in the cult-like race to attach interesting things to the iPod, and it's aimed right at a core New Mexico problem: drunken driving.

David Steele Enterprises this month introduced the "iBreath" iPod attachment, a blood-alcohol breath testing device following in the vein of the California company's iPod flashlight and video glasses.

It might be up there in obscurity with other iPod attachments - ones that play music out of your toilet paper holder or turn the MP3 player into a laser pointer come to mind. But S.U. Mahesh, a spokesman for the New Mexico Department of Transportation, said he finds the concept intriguing.

And it's out just in time for the holidays.

"Anything we can use for prevention of drunken driving I think is great," Mahesh said. "We need any help we can get to address this problem."

Since it attaches to an iPod, which is often associated the young hip crowd, the iBreath could hit the biggest age group at risk for DWI - 18- to 34-year-olds, Mahesh said.

"I think this would be a great asset in this fight," Mahesh said.

Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White's initial reaction to the concept was "Get out of Dodge!" - followed by a stiff warning about what he says is an interesting but unscientific toy.

"Don't put your liberty at risk by relying on a gadget," White said. "I think people think they can go out there and consume alcohol, blow into some device that's not calibrated on a regular basis, and lean on that as their justification for drinking and driving."

A better plan is to avoid driving if you've had anything to drink, White said.

"I can assure you, you won't be able to take your iPod with you to jail," White said.

Still, the company has already sold "several thousand" of the $79 iBreaths, which also double as handy FM wireless transmitters, said Don Bassler, president and founder of David Steele.

Bassler declined to reveal how many units the company has sold so far in New Mexico.

The company capped the test range of its device at 0.12 percent blood-alcohol content out of concern that it might be used for drinking contests, Bassler said.

"We don't want anybody `incentivised' to use it as a one-up thing," Bassler said.

Mahesh said while he's not really a drinker, the coolness factor makes him want to get one - or would if he had an iPod.

"I was planning to get an iPod, and now I think it wouldn't be a bad idea to get one with a Breathalyzer," Mahesh said.

For his part, White says he'll pass on the newest iPod device. He doesn't own an iPod, either. Not yet, although he'd like one from Santa this Christmas for his "legally downloaded music from the Internet. That's legally downloaded," he said emphatic