People should be required to have a "Liquor License" to purchase alcohol.

This has been a great debate!!! Thank you to my opponent for accepting the challenge. It seems that my opponent is focusing his argument on: 1) The Costs, 2) The Value (will it help?), & 3) How the "license" would be issued. Addressing the cost of the program at this stage of debate is a little like "putting the cart before the horse". As I stated previously, the cost would most likely be spread over various taxes (like an alcohol tax) and fees. My opponent pointed out that not everyone drinks - while this is very true, EVERYONE is affected by the 10% of people who drink irresponsibly. As far as how to initiate the program, I would think that everyone currently over 21 would be "grand-fathered" in, and just issued a card. Once again, the important factor for individuals wouldn't be so much as getting the license, it would be more in KEEPING the license, by acting responsibly. The most important aspect of my opponents concern is, 'will it help?'. Well, it sure SEEMS like it would. And, as Mike Brake points out in his article, "Needed: A license to Drink", "'Liquor License' is a good idea because it does not affect those 90% of Americans who don't have a drinking problem."[1] This isn't a new idea. It's been long recognized that, as a society, we need to do something proactive to combat this "blight". In an Newsweek article from 17 years ago, 1994, titled, "Needed: A License To Drink"[2], the author points out that, "Licensing drinking would acknowledge the growing medical consensus that roughly one drinker in 10 has a genetic predisposition for addiction." In 1997, Etoile Pinder wrote in the Dartmouth newspaper titled, "Responsible Drinking is Not a Product of Age". In it, he reiterates my point that, "The whole concept of basing a person's ability to be a responsible drinker on a pre-selected age is, for lack of a better word, silly." No...this is NOT as crazy of an idea as it may have initially seemed. Drinking and Driving is only a portion of the numerous problems caused by alcohol-impaired people. In a 2002 report from the University of Minnesota, titled, "Alcohol Abuse is a Serious Problem"[4], it is stated that, "Alarming proportions of accidents, crimes, suicides, and incidences of family violence and juvenile delinquency are the result of alcohol abuse by one or more family members." It went on to offer the following data from various Minnesota studies summarized by the Minnesota Prevention Resource Center. Accidents: 41% of all deaths from falls, 30% of drowning deaths, 25% of boating deaths, and 45 - 55% of fire fatalities are alcohol related. Crimes: 55 - 75% of homicide victims and 40% of rape offenders had been drinking at the time of the incident; 50% of those who commit sex abuse crimes also abuse alcohol. Suicides: 80% of all adolescent suicides have been reported to be children of alcoholic parents. Family Violence: In 44 - 70% of the reported cases of battered women, the offender was drunk. 70% of adult women alcoholics were sexually abused as children. Children of alcoholic parents are twice as likely to develop their own alcohol problems. Juvenile Delinquency: 82% of adjudicated delinquent adolescents had at least one alcoholic parent. The numbers are staggering!!! As I said in my opening statement, I'm a Libertarian, and a Pragmatist. This problem is not going to solve itself and it is a huge "blight" on our society. This plan makes total sense. It's good for everyone. It's doable, and it's long overdue! Thank you for the opportunity to debate this subject :) [1]https://www.megaessays.com... [2]http://www.newsweek.com... [3]http://thedartmouth.com... [4]http://www.extension.umn.edu...