College students drink? No!!!
I’m resisting the urge to make fun here, but it’s soooo hard.
A new study from the University of Missouri shows freshman and sophomore college students under 21 years old who possess fake IDs often — wait until you hear this — drink!
The study examined fake ID ownership (Mental note: Can you ever really “own” something that is both fraudulent and illegal?) and “heavy” alcohol consumption, according to a Mizzou press release.
Over two years, the number of students with fake IDs more than doubled. Students belonging to fraternities or sororities were more likely to own a fake ID.
“The biggest finding is that having a fake ID is a risk factor for additional drinking – drinking that might not otherwise be occurring,” said Kenneth J. Sher, professor of clinical psychology. “The other piece is how ubiquitous it is – how many underage drinkers have a fake ID. Basically, being a heavy drinker predicts the likelihood that someone will obtain a fake ID, and having a fake ID predicts that someone will be a heavy drinker.”
Research included more than 3,700 students. Researchers assessed the drinking habits of participants in the summer prior to entering the university and during their first four semesters, asking about how often students drank five or more drinks in a setting, felt high on alcohol or got drunk on alcohol.
The study, “Fake ID Ownership and Heavy Drinking in Underage College Students: Prospective Findings,” was published in the American Psychological Association journal Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
“Currently, around the nation people are concerned about underage drinking,” researcher Julia Martinez said. “One of the big issues is how are these kids accessing alcohol. One of the ways to get alcohol is with a fake ID, and that has been understudied.”
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