Why are American teenagers so keen on using fake IDs?

Surveys show that adolescents in the United States use fake IDs extensively.

Fake IDs are a unique way to obtain alcohol that becomes increasingly popular as people approach the legal drinking age. These false IDs may be borrowed from older peers or siblings or may be specially crafted documents obtained from local or online merchants. Regardless of the source, there appears to be a bidirectional relationship between alcohol use and fake IDs, such that: (1) alcohol use predicts subsequent acquisition of fake IDs; and (2) possession (i.e., possession) of fake IDs predicts subsequent frequency of alcohol use (defined as 5 or more drinks per occasion; Martinez et al., 2007).

Adolescents should avoid alcohol abuse and fake IDs.