The biggest obstacle standing between underage students and alcohol is their age, a barrier many find easy to circumvent almost effortlessly with some careful smudging, a little computer savvy, or a trip to Canada.
"Fake IDs are easy to get and nearly every [underage] student who drinks has one," said William B., a UB senior majoring in aerospace engineering.
According to John Grela, director of University Police, approximately 30 to 40 fake IDs are confiscated on campus annually, mainly during routine stops for traffic violations. Under New York law, it is unlawful for an underage person to misrepresent his or her age or to use false identification for the purpose of obtaining alcohol.
"I got a fake ID made for me last year on campus," said Kristina, a sophomore psychology major. "I paid $50. It worked, so I guess I got my money's worth."
The simplest method is to "chalk" a driver's license by drawing over the date of birth on the identification and altering its appearance to a legal age. With a little more effort, an underage person can find an expired or out-of-state ID of someone who looks remotely similar, or borrow an older friend's identification.
Templates for nearly every state license are available online, even after the Federal Trade Commission's crackdown last year on Web sites supplying this information. These sites contain the images necessary to create a fake ID and detailed instructions on what sort of specialty paper to print on - paper available from virtually any office supply retailer. The instructions even contain what font to use in editing the template.
Another popular option is purchasing a "novelty ID," sold in tourists districts of many major cities.
"You just go to the place, they take your picture with a digital camera and you give them the information you want on it," said Stacey, a psychology sophomore who purchased her ID in Toronto for $45. "An hour later, you have your out-of-state fake ID with a hologram. [It is as] simple as that."
With the recent increase in alcohol-related problems involving underage students, bars such as Molly's Pub on Main Street are taking greater measures to deter the use of fake IDs.
New regulations at Molly's require a current New York identification card for entry. If an ID is expired or from out of state, the patron is required to show additional forms of identification such as a social security card and other types of photo ID.
"I was in a bar [and] the cops raided it, so I put [my fake ID] in my shoe," said Richard, a sophomore business major.
The desire of many underage college students to join the over-21 crowd coupled with the ease and virtual instant access to altered identification leads some students to violate the law on a regular basis, particularly if they have previously escaped detection. Getting caught carrying a distorted or fake ID, however, can carry heavy consequences.
If caught in the town of Amherst, the ID will be seized, and depending upon previous records, the fine could be anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars. While the crime is considered a misdemeanor, it will be noted on the offender's permanent record.
Within the university, being caught with a fake ID results in the ID being confiscated and typically a referral to the Student Wide Judiciary.
"I have been caught with a fake ID," said William K., a sophomore accounting major. "The University at Buffalo police took it away. They tore it up in front of me and let me go."
Trevor Torcello, chief justice of the Student Wide Judiciary, said most cases of fraudulent identification are punished by community service, with the number of hours determined on a case-by-case basis.
"There is no set number of hours, it all depends on the mitigating circumstances," said Torcello.
Torcello said SWJ heard about 10 to 15 cases of misrepresentation - a category that includes fake IDs as well as other offenses - last year.
Grela believes that while access to false identification is widespread, the actual number of cases recorded is small.
"A small percentage of students are actually involved in illegal activities regarding alcohol and fake IDs. They're really only hurting themselves because the consequences fall on the individual," said Grela.
Most students are taking on huge responsibilities by merely attending college and are not aware of all that they can lose, he added.
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