The new adolescent identity crisis

Where only first names appear, names have been changed to protect the identities of the sources.

Budweiser, Heineken, Corona—the girl reaches down, picks out a six-pack and carries it suavely to the counter. Flipping open her wallet, she places her ID card in front of the cashier and gazes casually out the liquor store window.

Or at least she hopes the gaze looks casual. As a senior displaying someone else's driver's license, Katie has no reason to feel at ease. Whenever she uses her fake ID, she says, "the bottom line is that I'm never calm and collected."

According to Montgomery County Police Officer Rick Burge, millions of teenagers are acquiring IDs that look authentic enough to fool bartenders, bouncers and even the police.

Using a fake ID is strictly illegal, but Burge estimates that 50 to 60 percent of all high school and college students possess false IDs. According to an informal Silver Chips survey of 100 students on Nov 26, 16 percent of Blazers own illegitimate IDs. Of these students, 44 percent use the IDs for purchasing alcohol or tobacco and 56 percent use the IDs for other purposes.

Students obtain fake IDs through a variety of methods. Katie's friend gave her a driver's license belonging to someone who looks like her. Kyle, a junior, sports an "Idaho" ID, which he made using a computer graphics program.

Jason, a junior, visited a website that explained how to make a realistic ID. His location of choice, Burling, Ohio, does not actually exist. "I just kept thinking Burlington Coat Factory," he says. "And I wanted to be creative."

As for where to use fake IDs, Blazers have certainly done their homework. "There are places where it is considered ‘hot' and you could be carded," says Jason. Most Montgomery County liquor stores are hot, he says, and so is 7-Eleven.

Kyle, on the other hand, says that he does not feel threatened when using his ID at 7-Eleven to buy tobacco. "I have never been turned down," he says, adding that he does not feel nervous when putting his fake ID into use. His carefree attitude is evident as he pulls a tattered false ID from his pocket. "It went through the washer," he says unabashedly.

Katie says she never feels at ease when buying alcohol with the fake ID. She is right to be nervous. Liquor store workers and police say they are fighting back against the storm of fake IDs. Sean Shen, who works at Tenley Wine & Liquor in D.C., says he catches people with fake IDs once or twice a week. "We have a booklet provided by the government with all of the states' IDs," he says. Comparing customers' IDs with the real ones pictured in the book makes it easy to spot the fakes. Usually he tells them not to do it again and lets them go.

Tim Scott, manager of Modern Liquor Store in Prince George's County, has a more severe strategy. "I bar their exit and call the police," he says.

Burge says the police force has a variety of programs for dealing with fake IDs. The Cops in Shops program, for example, involves police officers standing behind the register and checking the IDs of liquor store patrons. Burge says "it's pretty easy" to spot a fake.

Under Maryland law, possession of fraudulent identification can result in either a civil citation with a fine of $500 or, if the minor is caught using the fake ID to drive, a $1,000 traffic ticket and 12 points on the offender's real driver's license, says Burge.

Many Blazers are unaware of the serious consequences of getting caught. Katie isn't sure what would happen if she were to be apprehended while using her false ID. "My fake ID would get taken away," she says. "I think there's something about your driver's license. . . " she trails off.

Kyle, who uses his fake ID approximately once a week, has no idea what the penalty would be if he got caught. "I don't know. Is it a fraud?" he guesses.

Shen stresses that minors have the ability to relax without the help of alcoholic beverages. "They can take nonalcoholic drinks and still satisfy themselves," he says.

Junior Duane Mueller agrees that students can entertain themselves without illicit activity. "You could play a song, you could go for a walk in the park, you could fall asleep," he lists. He believes that alcohol and tobacco laws exist for a reason. "The laws are in place to guard society from harming itself," he says. That is why all Mueller's ID will ever say is his real age.