Carry a beer, lose your gun. In essence, such is the gist of a new rule promulgated by the Ministry of Public Security in Costa Rica. According to a news report filed by Jason Torres of online news daily CRHoy.com, the new rule calls for law enforcement officers in Costa Rica to confiscate weapons and the actual permit to bear arms from individuals are determined to be in possession of liquor or drugs, or whenever they are found to be under the influence of such substances.

The new has been filed as 02-2015 DGFP, and it is written in a way that serve as operational policy for members of Fuerza Publica, the national police force of Costa Rica. The Assistant Director of Fuerza Publica, Nils Ching, explained to CRHoy that the new rule seeks to protect the public in a manner that is both proactive and preventive.

As expected, the new rule has been criticized by pro-gun activists in Costa Rica. Mauricio Alvarado, spokesman for the Pro-Defense Association of Costa Rica is worried that someone who goes to the store while packing heat and purchases beer to carry home could lose his or her weapon if intercepted by Fuerza Publica officers. Assistant Director Ching states that the rule actually calls for confiscation upon a safety evaluation performed by the officers.

The Pro-Defense Association is planning to rally against this new directive since, in their opinion, it only adds to the barriers to bear arms in Costa Rica. Members of the Association is flustered because they consider that carrying guns in Costa Rica is becoming more restrictive and complicated. The Association also claims that The Ministry of Public Security is not doing enough to control the black market of guns that end up in the hands of criminals; however, recent statistics show that weapon confiscation has increased significantly in Costa Rica.