Warren County, NY, Works to Curb Underage Drinking

The launch of Operation Teen Proof was announced by District Attorney Kate Hogan as part of a continuing effort to curb the problem of underage drinking in Warren County, New York. To do this, the District Attorney's Office will be providing Security Laminate Verifiers, free of charge, to the local Chambers of Commerce to distribute to every licensed alcohol establishment in Warren County. These verifiers give proprietors the ability to identify the authenticity of any New York State Driver's License issued after April 1997.

"Underage drinking is a problem in this county and across the nation," Hogan stated. "With today's technology, computers can generate false IDs that look very real. This verifier, a hand held instrument, visibly shows the markings that only appear on legitimate IDs, allowing store owners to quickly determine the authenticity of an ID."

With the co-operation of law enforcement and businesses, Operation Teen Proof is aimed at using technology to prevent the purchase of alcohol by underage people. Alcohol can serve as the trigger for any number of crimes including drunk driving, domestic violence and sexual assaults. According Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), 28% of New York State's traffic fatalities in 2004 involved alcohol levels over the legal limit.