As states across the country pass age-verification laws, there’s one question on everyone’s mind: how the heck are they supposed to work?
According to government officials, the laws are designed to prevent minors from accessing certain materials or products. But the logistics of enforcing these laws have left many scratching their heads.
Take, for instance, the case of Bob. Bob is a convenience store owner in a state that recently passed an age-verification law for e-cigarettes. One day, a teenager walks into Bob’s store and asks to buy an e-cigarette.
“How old are you?” Bob asks.
“Uh, I’m 18,” the teen replies nervously.
Not convinced, Bob asks for ID. The teen hands over his old high school ID, which clearly says he’s only 16.
Bob shakes his head. “Sorry kiddo, not today.”
But the teen is persistent. “Come on, man. Just sell me the damn thing.”
Bob thinks for a moment. He needs to make some sales if he wants to pay his bills this month.
“Alright, fine,” he says begrudgingly. “But you gotta do me a favor. Take this pack of Tic Tacs and pretend to be chewing on them when you walk out. That way, if any cops come by, I can say I just sold you a pack of mints.”
The teen nods, grabs his illicit e-cigarette, and pops a Tic Tac in his mouth as he exits the store.
Meanwhile, in another part of the state, a bartender named Sally is dealing with her own age-verification headache. The state recently passed a law prohibiting the sale of alcohol to anyone under 21. Sally knows she has to be careful, but it’s not always easy to determine who’s of legal drinking age and who’s not.
One night, a group of college students walks into the bar and plops down at a table. Sally starts serving them drinks, but something seems off.
“Can I see some IDs?” she asks.
The students protest, insisting that they’re all over 21. But when Sally looks at their IDs, she sees that one of them is only 19.
“Gotta go,” she says, pouring out the student’s drink. “And the rest of you better be telling the truth, or I’ll have to call the cops.”
The students look sheepish as they finish their drinks and head out the door. As Sally cleans up their table, she realizes that the age-verification law is going to make her life a lot more complicated.
“It’s like we’re all living in an episode of ‘Punk’d,'” she mutters to herself.
As the number of age-verification laws increases, it’s clear that there will be plenty more headaches and funny moments in store for everyone. Just remember to keep a pack of Tic Tacs handy, and you should be alright.
