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Opposition MP Colm Imbert has sharply criticised the Government’s proposed alcohol legislation, describing parts of the measure as “foolishness” and arguing that several of its proposed penalties are disproportionate.
Speaking during parliamentary debate, Imbert focused on provisions of the Miscellaneous Provisions (Alcohol, Cannabis, Dangerous Drugs, Gambling and Tobacco) Bill, 2026, which proposes raising the minimum age for the sale, purchase and possession of alcohol from 18 to 21.
Imbert questioned the proposed punishment for knowingly selling alcohol to someone under 21, using the example of selling a Carib beer to a person who is 20 years, 11 months and 29 days old.
“15 to 30 years imprisonment for selling a drink to a 20-year-old?” Imbert asked. “30 years jail for that? It’s not proportionate.”
The legislation provides for significant penalties for knowingly selling or allowing the sale of intoxicating liquor to a person under 21, with penalties increasing for subsequent offences.
Imbert also criticised a proposed provision affecting children found with alcohol, questioning how a child as young as 10 could face a substantial financial penalty.
“Which country in the world is fining a 10-year-old $50,000?” Imbert asked during his contribution.
He argued that authorities should instead punish the person responsible for providing the alcohol to the child rather than placing the penalty on the child.
Imbert further challenged arguments that people under 21 should be restricted from drinking because of concerns about mental development.
He argued that if a 19-year-old is considered to lack sufficient mental capacity to make a decision about consuming alcohol, then a 10-year-old would have even less capacity and should therefore not be treated as responsible in the same way.
“This is the foolishness in this bill,” Imbert told Parliament.
He concluded by saying that, on behalf of what he described as approximately 130,000 young people between the ages of 18 and 24, he completely rejected the proposed legislation.
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