They could helpI’ve been thinking about what possibly could be the most embarrassing possession an individual could ever be caught red-handed with. I lingered on a bra in a priest’s bag, a million bucks in a beggar’s pocket and a pistol in a housewife’s handbag- but nothing came close to most awkward like a drinking permit in anyone’s wallet. To whoever doubted an individual’s drinking sprees, a drinking permit would provide the best evidence for sheer drunkenness. And yes! Drinking permits should be issued to ardent drunkards- those who are always caught in fights, drunk driving and all that stuff, just to embarrass them hard enough to drink lesser. Besides embarrassing and scaring them out of bars, drinking permits would be the most useful introduction to any society. It would be a clear indication our parliamentarians are thinking outside the box to curb crime and underage drinking. I tried to Google countries that possibly have drinking permits and found out that in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates, these permits are actually a must have. I just wondered how such a superb idea could be useful to make our own society more peaceful. Just recently, in what has been praised as a peaceful suburb, a bar brawl caused the death of a young man.  Apparently, his only crime was that he fortuitously kicked and broke a glass of beer as he moved by. Before he knew it, a mob of six guys whooped him and although he escaped to his home, he was discovered dead in the morning. Now, imagine that scenario in a society with drinking permits. Fearing to lose their permits or being suspended from entering any bar in Kigali, booze-lovers, drunk or sober, would guard well their permits by behaving well. Thus, there would not be fatal brawls like that which I just narrated. Anyhow, one thing we should never forget is that such introductions are a big incentive to things like tourism and industrialisation. They can attract potential tourists who want to find out how such initiatives work. Let’s face it, all laws in the country that limit the spread of alcohol have failed. Minors still access alcohol at any time they want and bars are open past 11:00 p.m. Drunken drivers have crammed which routes to use and avert night patrol and the breathalyzers can be beaten by galloping thousands of chewing gum and eating lemons. Instead of succumbing to failure, I think a drinking permit should be brought in as the final solution.@RushAfrican on Twitter ID’s are enoughI don’t know about you people but if those unrealistic laws going on in Mumbai spread to Africa, it might trigger one of the worst uprisings in history instead because one thing that can’t be underestimated is an African’s love for the bottle!What irritates me the most with some of these ‘laws’ is that I can’t help but feel like they are there just to annoy people. For instance, how do you tell a grown man that he needs some kind of permit to purchase, sell or consume alcohol? Selling I totally get because people need to know that what is being sold isn’t counterfeit, but for the life of me, I don’t get the issue with actually drinking, moreover by adults!I think the reason people look forward to turning 18 is mainly because that is when they are of legal age to do just about anything and not be questioned – well with the exception of murder, theft and other misdemeanors! Alcohol has and will always be a part of this world – why people choose to ignore that fact is beyond me. Our fore fathers consumed it in barrels and it has been passed on from generation to generation and I think that if it was to be banned or restricted, it would have happened ages ago! If Jesus never asked for a permit when He turned that water into wine, why should a fellow man tell you to show one?Seriously, how in the 21st century do you tell a grown person to get permission to drink? Isn’t an ID enough? I know some teens fake ID’s so maybe anyone who has a face that doesn’t quite suggest they are above 18 should walk around with a copy of their birth certificate – just incase - but leave evidently grown people alone!Do these laws come out because they actually think it’s for the best or they lack what to do and instead come up with ways to irritate people? Do they take into consideration the numerous businesses left on hold because business owners are out trying to acquire permits instead? Do they even understand how bored tourists get when they come to a place only to be told they need permission to drink? According to website know.burrp.com, in Mumbai apparently one has to fill up forms available at a permit center, affix a court fee stamp and present it to the authorized officer along with two recent photographs and an identity proof. Myself, I don’t care if all it takes to get this permit is a phone call, if I’m not driving under the influence or disturbing the peace, surely what is the problem?The law is contradictory to itself – teenagers are encouraged to vote when they are of legal age which in most countries is 18. Telling these kids that they are mature enough to vote and elect representatives yet somehow they are not quite fit to drink and might need some sort of permission is two-facedness of the highest caliber!In this case maybe sex permits and everything else we believe is a menace to society should be outlawed too and we can all move to convents! If the police or whoever it is who comes up with such silly laws really wants people to drink sensibly or give up drinking in general, I highly doubt the money spent on acquiring permits will act as enough of a restraint. I wonder, will places like Mumbai give their tourists and business visitors an alcohol visa on arrival? What a way to be welcomed into a country! "Hello and welcome to Mumbai. Here is your drinking permit!”I say that sucks and no African country should ever attempt it – well for the sake of keeping the peace that is. Police should do what they are paid to do and not try to make their job easier by making it hard for people to get their hands on alcohol. Arrest the drunk drivers, arrest drunks disturbing the peace, send underage kids pretending they are older than they actually are straight to their parents home where they belong and all will be well.

rachelgaruka@yahoo.co.uk