Church responds to govt’s plan to increase legal age limits

Laws will be brought to the Parliament to raise the legal age for gambling and marijuana use to 25 years and over, and also increase the legal age for alcohol use to 21 years and older.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar made the announcement on July 7 at the United National Congress ‘Monday Report’ in Penal.

Responses from stakeholders and the wider public has been mixed.

Vicar for Communications Fr Robert Christo commented on Altos, The Catholic News’ news and current affairs programme aired on Trinity TV, saying there was an apparent contradiction.

“Yes, it seems and sounds a bit strange and odd. You can marry at 18, but not buy an alcoholic drink until 21,” Fr Christo remarked. “Still, both choices need maturity. One is a sacrament, the other is liberty.”

He emphasised that rather than seeing the laws as conflicting, the Church views them as opportunities to guide young people toward wise, faith-filled, and responsible choices.

Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, he stressed that freedom is not just the ability to choose, but the capacity to choose responsibly what is good. “The laws may restrict access, but it is conscience, formation, and virtue that really safeguard a young person’s decisions and future,” he added.

Episcopal Delegate for Youth, Taresa Best Downes, echoed similar sentiments in a separate interview. While acknowledging the government’s responsibility to safeguard youth, she cautioned that any new laws must be both enforceable and part of a broader societal dialogue.

“I think the intention is very noble… However, we have to be very careful about the ways in which we enact laws and whether they can be properly enforced,” she said. “Moreover, I think we need a wider conversation as to the why of the gambling, the drinking, the smoking.”

Both called for government collaboration with religious organisations and non-profit groups to address the root causes of addiction and substance abuse among youth, rather than relying solely on legal restrictions.

Their combined message: laws can set boundaries, but genuine protection and growth for young people require moral education, spiritual support, and responsible community engagement.

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