The more realistic, the better. If it scans, you’re golden. Just memorize the birthdate and put on a little extra makeup so you can pass for over 21.

Fake I.D.’s have become a college student staple over the last few years. Pay anywhere between $75-$125 and your nightlife will wildly improve and expand. You no longer have to wait the extra couple of years to get into that bar everyone in your theory class talks about – just whip out your fake, and you’ll have immediate access.

Personally, I don’t have an I.D. – but almost all of my friends do. For some, it’s the convenience of being able to pick up liquor whenever they want but for others, it’s an opportunity to go to a nice bar, or a cool club and have a good time there. It erases the need to sneak in a flask or take ten shots before going out – you can casually buy drinks throughout the night.

The problem with fake I.D’s is that it takes away the excitement of turning 21 and being of legal age to drink and go out to bars. It takes away from the joy of ordering your first drink in a restaurant or buying your first bottle of wine for yourself.

Worse than the lack of excitement, getting caught with a fake can have major consequences. In Buffalo, the police work with (the few) bars around campus once or twice per semester to catch people using fakes. Last semester they caught almost 20 people at The Steer, one of the most popular bars for students.

Each of these students now has it on their records that they were caught attempting to use a fake I.D. to drink underage. You’ve also lost the money you spent on the I.D. because the police or the bouncer will take it. Is one night of partying worth damaging your reputation?

There’s a correlation between the amount of alcohol you consume and having a fake I.D. because it’s more accessible. In a study done by KM Jackson in 2005 titled “Drinking Amongst College Students: Consumption and Consequences” ownership of fake I.D.’s are a huge public health problem. It also correlates heavy drinking and I.D. ownership despite other factors such as gender and prior drinking habits.

Long story short, having an I.D. can increase your drinking habits to a level that isn’t manageable. Sure, going out on a Friday or Saturday is good and even a weekday party once in a while is nice, but with a fake, you can get caught up in bad habits due to accessibility.

Buffalo nightlife isn’t exactly full of bars. Sure, there are some cool places to check out downtown, but around the two campuses there are very few bars since many of them have closed down over the last couple of years including Molly’s Pub and The U.

Why ruin the few bars that are here by going to them before your 21^st comes around? You’ll be sick of them before you can even legally enjoy them, and then you’ll have nowhere to go.