500+ Fake IDs Exposed in New York State’s Underage Drinking Crackdown

Okay, call me old. When I turned 18 back in the stone age, the legal age to drink was 18. That changed for New York State in December of 1982 when the minimum age was 19, and then 21 in December of 1985.

So, attempting to fake my age at 18 to drink was not an issue for me. Not that I would have tried, anyway. Do you believe me? But that attempt is common practice every single day as you know.

Underage Drinking in New York State

And New York State has been taking measures to prevent underage drinking. One of these ways was evident this past summer during the concert season. According to the Governor Kathy Hochul website, an enforcement campaign named 'Operation Prevent'  focused on New York State concert venues to crack down on underage persons attempting to use fake IDs to buy alcohol.

Venue operators, local law enforcement and NYS DMV investigators worked together to prevent as much as possilbe, to curb underage drinking and the potential for impaired driving.

"By ramping up our enforcement efforts, we will help prevent underage New Yorkers from purchasing alcohol and lower the risk of driving while intoxicated. The safety of our young people is paramount, and I am grateful to the Department of Motor Vehicles and its partners for their efforts to help ensure the safety of New Yorkers." - Governor Kathy Hochul

Four regions of New York State are identified in the number of citations and fake id seizures, including Central New York, The Finger Lakes, the Capitol Region and Long Island.

The number of citations totaled 551 with the most coming from the Finger Lakes Region at 259, and the number of fake id seizures totaled 580 again with the most coming from the Finger Lakes Region at 275.

[via New York State Governor Kathy Hochul]