Drop in Underage Alcohol Sales in Indiana Follows Strict ID Law

Following the institution of an Indiana law requiring anyone buying and carrying out alcohol to show identification, regardless of their age, state inspectors report fewer of the state’s liquor stores, bars and restaurants are selling alcohol to those under 21. Under a recent revision to the law, store clerks are no longer required to ask customers for ID if they reasonably appear older than 40.

The law also requires certified training for servers, which includes how to spot fake IDs, instructions about not serving more alcohol to someone who is intoxicated, and the basics of the state’s alcohol laws.

The Associated Press reports that State Excise Police conducted more than 5,000 inspections in the first half of 2011, in which people ages 18 to 20 accompany officers and try to purchase alcohol. They found that 8.8 percent of bars and restaurants violated the law, as did 4.3 percent of liquor stores, compared with more than 40 percent in 2009.