While Tasmac outlets near schools and colleges may be shutting down, the intended purpose of curbing underage drinking remains questionable if students can easily slip into pubs and restobars across the city. Many such establishments rely on visual checks rather than automated systems to authenticate government IDs.
Legal age and fake IDs
The legal age for drinking and purchasing alcohol in Tamil Nadu is 21 years. Club owners report that the use of fake IDs by underage teenagers has become common, while mechanisms to detect them remain limited. Rajiv Shah, partner at Sin and Tonic, says, “On average, we have 40-50 teenagers aged between 16 and 19 trying to come in. College IDs are easier to fake, so we insist on government documents. Our general protocol is that we insist on an Aadhaar card, and if the ID is genuine, we let them in.”
Teenagers thronging premises
Other venues such as Mannat Chennai are witnessing teenagers thronging their premises in large numbers. Pooja Sisodiya, partner at Mannat Chennai, explains, “We have at least 80 teenagers attempting entry by saying they just want to eat. We won’t let them in. Our bouncers are trained to identify the special sticker on fake licences. We accept only Aadhaar, driving licence, and passport to admit entry.”
Rajiv Shah adds that they do not have any authenticator system or mechanism to verify whether the documents are genuine. “If we suspect someone is underage, we make them call their parents to verify. When we call some parents, they admit that their child is underage and ask us to permit them entry for a drink,” he notes.
Student experiences with fake IDs
N Vimal*, a 20-year-old student who has been faking IDs for the last three years, says bouncers at many clubs rely just on appearances. “When I was 17, I used to go drinking with my friends. We would befriend a person with an authentic ID and make him show it to the bouncer for verification. The rest of us would then slip in. It’s easier if you go with a group of girls. Now that I have a moustache, they don’t even stop me,” Vimal shares.
Stricter entry rules at some bars
However, a few restobars are tightening entry rules with a three-layer screening system. Sanjeev Verma, managing partner of Black Orchid, describes, “This involves a bouncer checking for ID, an authentication system, and a manager to approve it. This system has been working wonders. We are also planning to set up an AI system to do the screening process, making it more thorough.”
Despite these efforts, the prevalence of underage drinking persists, highlighting the need for more robust verification mechanisms across all establishments.
