What Fargo bar owners are doing to prevent underage drinking in the “beer belly of America”

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North Dakota is considered the “beer belly of America,” with more bars per capita than any other in the nation, according to North Dakota Prevention Administrator Tom Volk. With fake IDs easily available online, and owned by about 33% of 18-20-year-olds in the U.S., the city of Fargo is trying to prevent underage alcohol consumption. At an open meeting on Wednesday, February 19 at Fargo’s City Hall, experts detailed the laws around serving minors and recent technological advancements, like forensic scanners that catch 90% to 98% of fakes. The scanners cost $5300, but Cass Public Health has purchased nearly three dozen that bar owners can borrow long term. Underage drinkers have the highest rates of risky, harmful behavior, including alcohol-related crashes, sexual assault, and suicide, according to the data Volk cited in the meeting. The scanners are one part of preventing that.