Local bars in Athens are facing an influx of fake IDs among college students, as most are not of legal drinking age.
Dylan Marshall, a senior studying exercise physiology and manager of Pawpurr's Bar, said the minimum age to enter Pawpurr's is 21; however, the employees have no way to determine if an ID is fake and do not receive special training on spotting a fake ID.
Marshall also believed 90% of the IDs he sees are fake, but he cannot prove it.
“People want to drink,” Marshall said. “That’s all Athens has to offer. They do nothing else for the community of students other than basically force them to drink.”
Cullen Watson, a junior studying economics and international business and a bouncer at Pawpurr's Bar, said he assumes about 75% of people he lets into the bar are actually 21, but it’s hard to be sure if an ID is genuine.
However, Watson said most of the issues at the bar come from community residents rather than students.
“Most of them are 21, but they either don’t have student IDs, which is the biggest issue…or they’ll come in before we start checking IDs,” Watson said.
On weekends like Homecoming and Halloween, Marshall said the bars have to watch the dynamic of people coming in because many people from out of town come to visit and cause problems.
Fake IDs are easy to obtain, costing about $25 per fake ID, according to Watson.
Ohio University Police Department Captain Tim Ryan said officers have a wide range of discretion regarding the consequences of fake IDs, including warning the individual, issuing a citation or making an arrest.
Possession of a fake ID is a misdemeanor of the third degree, punishable by a maximum of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine, Ryan said.
"OUPD took 53 reports involving fictitious identification cards, and 25 of those reports had criminal charges associated with them," Ryan wrote in an email.
Ryan said he thinks fake ID usage is not only happening at OU. Having a fake ID is often associated with people under the age of 21, strongly correlating to college populations.
Marshall said there are certain things bars watch for on fake IDs that they must deny, such as the birthday being scratched off.
When business gets going, Watson said bars tend to get stricter with who they let in.
“You’ve gotta be selective when the lines down to the parking lot,” Watson said. “Turning down a few fake IDs because they look terrible and they’re obviously fake is not going to impact our sales.”
Marshall suggested lowering the drinking age back to 18 as a potential solution because people will continue to drink, no matter what the drinking age is.
Watson said most bars in Athens would not have much business if students weren't drinking.
“Most of the bars in Athens wouldn’t make a lot of business if there weren’t students drinking,” Watson said. “We are a college bar in a college town, and the college is predominantly underage students.”
