Secondary form of ID to aid in eradication of fake ID use
Underage drinking and fake ID use have Oxford, Ohio police calling for local bars to ask Miami students for two forms of ID to prove legal age.
According to a report from local ABC affiliate WCPO, the motion is in part the result of Miami University’s president committing to a “breakthrough” on the issue of underage binge drinking at a recent university board meeting.
Calling for a secondary form of age verification is expected to curb the use of fake IDs for entry at local bars. It's a serious problem around the Miami campus, as state agents arrested 17 people in a single Friday night at one bar alone located near the Miami campus. All 17 arrested used fake IDs to buy alcohol, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol's Ohio Investigative Unit.
The consequence for using a fake ID in Ohio is an underage possession charge and a summons to appear in the Butler County Area I Court for judicial hearings. The WCPO report also reveals that police seized 21 fake driver licenses and the student ID cards of the underage individuals.
Of the possible solutions proposed are changes to the Miami University student ID card. Specifically, new student IDs printed with the student's date of birth will make them an effective second form of age verification -- in addition to a state-issued credential -- at local bars.
Oxford police say fake IDs are common and are getting harder to detect. A number of the underage Miami students recently hospitalized for drinking-related illnesses earlier this month were in possession of fake IDs.
Underage drinking at Miami came to the fore recently following the hospitalization of some 21 students in a single weekend due to alcohol-related ailments. Of the 21 students hospitalized, 17 were female and all but two were underage.
Local authorities say that the number of alcohol related incidents at Miami is so significant that it has put a strain on police, fire and EMS operations to the point that the agencies have had to call for backup.