After more than 12 hours of debate on Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed the Miscellaneous Provisions (Alcohol, Cannabis, Dangerous Drugs, Gambling and Tobacco) Bill, 2026, imposing stricter controls on alcohol, cannabis, tobacco and gambling for people under 25.
The Bill seeks to revise legislative frameworks to establish a new minimum age for the sale, purchase and possession of intoxicating liquor and tobacco to 21 years of age and to increase the age limit relevant to matters concerning the sale, purchase, possession and consumption of cannabis to 25 years of age.
AG Jeremie argued the Bill is aimed at changing the country’s direction after years of rising crime and violence.
“I was saddened to hear Port of Spain South, my friend, say that it’s business as usual. And business as usual is what got us to the position that we were in, in 2024, when Trinidad and Tobago, a tiny island, recorded perhaps one of the top 10, one of the top 15 highest homicide rates in the world.”
He also challenged critics who suggested the legislation could face legal hurdles.
“Now we have come with radical legislation. I heard the threat uttered across the floor today to challenge the legislation. Go ahead and challenge it. Go ahead and challenge it.”
The Opposition questioned the requirement for national photo identification to prove a person’s age.
However, the AG said the measure was needed to make the law enforceable.
“We felt that the legislation, although it was well intentioned and drafted with prohibitions, that it would have been difficult for the police, I was told, to determine the ages of individuals, so that we inserted that photo ID requirement.”
During the debate, Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath argued that the country could no longer rely on traditional approaches to addressing youth issues.
“We have reached a juncture in our nation’s history where we need to try something and do something. They have spoken ad nauseam for 10 years, Madam Deputy Speaker. They have been repeating the same old plan and policy, telling us about every single youth programme that did not work despite the millions and billions of dollars infused into those youth programmes.”
Minister of Defence and MP for Toco/Sangre Grande, Wayne Sturge, said the proposed increase in the legal age is “bitter medicine” aimed at protecting young people.
“Some may see it as bitter medicine. But you know, they say Buckley’s tastes awful. It works, but it works. And this bitter medicine that is going to affect a particular demographic and that’s who we have to focus on: those who are most at risk. This bitter medicine, and let me immediately go to my own constituency, this bitter medicine is what many young men and women in my constituency so desperately need.”
The Bill was eventually passed by a vote of 23 to 10 and now moves to the Senate on Friday.