Predicting Adverse Consequences of Alcohol Consumption in Underage College Students Using a Novel Fake ID Purchase Task

Abstract : Underage drinking is a significant public health concern, specifically among college students. The availability of fake IDs increases risks of college binge drinking as well as sexual victimization, providing a call for research on behavioral correlates. The purpose of the present experiment was to determine how much money an underage college sample (N = 98) at a large Midwestern university would be willing to pay to obtain a fake ID and to identify relations between demand for alcoholic drinks, demand for a fake ID, and adverse consequences of past alcohol consumption as measured by the Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire. Hierarchical negative binomial regression suggested demand intensity and Omax for alcoholic drinks as well as Omax for a fake ID were associated with a greater number of negative consequences of past alcohol consumption. The present experiment adds to the surmounting evidence implicating demand for fake IDs on college campuses as a serious public health concern.