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Issue date: 10/25/07

Media Credit: Stephen Cooney Underage students who could previously purchase fake IDs at a number of establishments in New York City and Long Island may have a harder time after the report released by Senator Jeff Klein.

A report released by the office of New York State Sen. Jeff Klein (D-Bronx/Westchester) on Oct. 14 uncovered how easy it is for minors to purchase fake identification cards from businesses within New York City in order to consume alcohol.

Standing outside of one of the businesses in Manhattan, Klein explained the situation further by saying that "nearly forty-four percent of high school students are drinking alcohol, and fake IDs are helping them do it."

Joining Klein was Cecilia Wolf, a representative of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn (D- Manhattan).

"Too many of our city's kids are using fake ID's to get into bars, putting themselves and others in danger. As it stands now, state law holds adults and establishments accountable when someone is hurt drinking on their property, but businesses that sell fake ID's get off scot free," Quinn said.

The 37-page report, "Underage & At-Risk: Fake IDs & Underage Drinking in New York State," was compiled in conjunction with Sens. Martin Connor (D-Brooklyn), Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington), and Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers). Throughout the summer, Klein sent interns from his office to several businesses through the city to see if they would sell the interns fake IDs. Without requesting proof of other ID, the businesses sold the minors the illegal cards.

For the vast majority of minors obtaining fake IDs, their main objective is to purchase alcohol, something the report focuses on with a plethora of statistics: 43.4 percent of New York City high school students have reported drinking alcohol; 75,000 individuals have lost their lives by abusing alcohol; and in 2005, 28.5 percent of students reported having been in a car with someone who had consumed alcohol prior to driving .

The report showed that from 2002 to 2006, the most arrests were made in the Bronx. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) made 141 arrests there, doubling the second largest number of arrests, which was 70 in Queens, followed by 53 arrests in Manhattan.

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