High school juniors and seniors and college students under the age of 21 were surveyed (N = 4,390) in southeastern New York, a state with generally weak laws regarding underage persons who purchase and possess alcohol, and in eastern Pennsylvania, a "liquor control" state with generally strong laws. Results indicated that more students had obtained alcohol from "friends" than from any other possible source. Approximately half of all students surveyed had attempted to purchase alcohol. Approximately one-third had, at some time, used some form of false identification typically a counterfeit, borrowed, altered or illegally obtained drivers license. The primary objective of the present study was to determine the sources of alcohol for underage persons including direct purchase. High school juniors and seniors and college students under the age of 21 were surveyed in eastern Pennsylvania and southeastern New York, two areas with substantially different laws regarding underage alcohol violations. (A)
Abstract