Bars, patrons do battle over fake IDs

Jessica Cain attempts to use her fake ID

By Jessica Freda and Meaghan Michel 
Bengal News West Reporters

          When you live in a popular college town with bars left and right, you want to be able to experience them for yourself one by one. However, this could be a difficult task if you have yet to hit the age of 21, which most college students do not do until their junior or senior year.

            In an effort to be able to go out with their older friends, underage college drinkers are attempting to find a way to get into bars without being the legal age. While some bars make it easy for underage drinkers to get in, other bars are not so willing to break the law.

            One place in particular that’s known for not allowing underage college drinkers in is Mister Goodbar, located on Elmwood Avenue.

            Bob Rabb, owner of Mister Goodbar, believes the bar has a good reputation when it comes denying those who are not of age just yet.

            “Our bartenders are TIP certified and our bouncers are New York state security certified. We use scanners, cameras, ID books; so they know how to do their job. They have procedures they can go through to confirm one way or another and once the decision is made they can make as big of a fuss as they want,” Rabb said.

            Jessica Cain, a 20-year-old West Side resident, has been trying to get into bars with her older sorority sisters since she joined her sorority her freshman year.

            "I'm not gonna lie and say that there were times that I wasn't successful in getting into a bar because there definitely were, but there have also been times where I was told that I couldn't come in because I was caught and it was honestly extremely embarrassing," Cain said.

            While it may be typical for underage college drinkers to attempt to get into bars so they can enjoy time with their friends, not every single college student believes that drinking before 21 is a smart idea.

            Evan Glover, a 19-year-old West Side resident believes that the age of 21 is actually still too young for people to be drinking given that not all college students truly understand the consequences of their actions when they drink.

            "This past year I lost my friend from drinking and driving. He was over the age of 21, but still? I question whether or not 21 is still too young being that a lot of drinking and driving accidents and tragedies are from the younger generation," Glover said. 

            The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholismss - ?? revealed that the consequences of underage college drinking affect students, families, and college communities every year on a large scale.

            Research showed that about 1,825 college students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related injuries, including drinking and driving accidents. It also showed that about 97,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24, experience an alcohol related sexual assault per year.  

            Janice Burns, the program director for the Focus on Consequences: Adolescents program at the Erie County Council for the Prevention of Alcohol and Substance Abuse, says that the reason the legal age to drink was raised to 21 was because of the new brain science.

 Janice Burns:

            “We know that the brain is still in development until mid 20s, and any alcohol or other substances that are introduced into the body effects the brain and the way that the brain develops, particularly for people under the age of 21,” Burns said.

            Burns believes that a helpful tactic to prevent underage drinking is educating the youth through prevention programs in schools.

            “We've realized the value of prevention programs in the schools. So going in and talking to youth and middle school ages and not to scare them but to explain to them the science and valuing their own brain as far as making good decisions with educating I would say that has been a huge impact,” Burns said.

            While it’s evident that some bars aim to prevent underage college students from drinking and the consequences that can come with it, the question remains unanswered – are ID scanners and statistics enough to make people cautious and aware of their actions?