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Protect students from alcohol @Emancipation Festival- Ministry of Education urges

- partners with VI Festival & Fairs Committee for ‘Our Festival. Our Responsibility.’ campaign
The Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports is appealing to the Virgin Islands community to ensure students are protected this Emancipation Festival season by refraining from providing them with alcoholic beverages. Photo: Internet Source
The Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry is partnering with the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee for the ‘Our Festival. Our Responsibility.’ campaign. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands
The Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry is partnering with the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee for the ‘Our Festival. Our Responsibility.’ campaign. Photo: Government of the Virgin Islands
The 2026 Virgin Islands Emancipation Festival runs from July 25 to August 8, 2026. Photo: VI Festival & Fairs Committee
The 2026 Virgin Islands Emancipation Festival runs from July 25 to August 8, 2026. Photo: VI Festival & Fairs Committee
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- The Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports is appealing to the Virgin Islands community to ensure students are protected this Emancipation Festival season by refraining from providing them with alcoholic beverages.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, the Ministry urged booth operators, bartenders, food vendors, event promoters, and even parents, guardians, and members of the public to assist by ensuring that students are not sold, served, or provided with alcoholic substances. 

Our Festival. Our Responsibility Campaign

"Festival is one of the most anticipated times of the year, and we want every member of our community to enjoy it safely and responsibly,” Chief Education Officer Orlandette R. Crabbe said, underscoring the importance of community partnership in safeguarding the Territory's children.

In addition to his public appeal, the Ministry is partnering with the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee for the ‘Our Festival. Our Responsibility.’ campaign.

"'Our Festival. Our Responsibility.' is a community commitment to protecting our students and preserving the true spirit of our Festival…Protecting our students is a responsibility that belongs to all of us…The choices we make as adults today can have a lasting impact on the health, safety, and future of our young people.”

All vendors and alcohol servers are asked to:

  • Verify the age of any individual purchasing or requesting alcoholic beverages where there is uncertainty.
  • Refuse the sale or service of alcohol to anyone under the legal drinking age.
  • Refrain from serving adults who are purchasing alcohol on behalf of students or other school-age children.
  • Support efforts to maintain a safe, responsible, and family-friendly festival environment where students are protected.

Keep young people safe

Parents, guardians, and the general public are also being asked to supervise young people in their care, discourage underage drinking, and set a positive example through responsible behaviour. “A simple act of intervention, guidance, or assistance may make all the difference in keeping a young person safe," Crabbe added.

Under the umbrella of ‘Our Festival. Our Responsibility’, the Ministry is also rolling out ‘Future Above Fete’, a dedicated youth initiative that encourages young people to celebrate their culture with clarity and make choices that protect their long-term ambitions.

10 Responses to “Protect students from alcohol @Emancipation Festival- Ministry of Education urges”

  • Being honest (22/07/2026, 14:03) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    Some of you adults will take money from the underage youngsters and buy them liquor, please don’t do so. If you have a booth that sells liquor, please don’t sell liquor to underage youngsters.
  • what (22/07/2026, 16:31) Like (5) Dislike (1) Reply
    how will a vendor "Verify the age of any individual purchasing or requesting alcoholic beverages where there is uncertainty" ?? We have no national ID and nobody is walking around with their passports. Im sure the average person doesnt even know the drinking age here because 13 year olds can walk up to any bar and get a drink. We all have, be real.
    Secondly, "Refrain from serving adults who are purchasing alcohol on behalf of students or other school-age children." how is a busy bartender going to care enough to figure this out? Please..Bye with this surface level newspost
    • @wHAT (22/07/2026, 20:01) Like (4) Dislike (1) Reply
      This is why the BVI needs to get on board and get a task force for things like that. First of all, those youngsters under the age of 18 should not be allowed in the village at nights. I hate to be in the village and see these underage youngsters up in the village like they are grown ups.
  • facts (22/07/2026, 16:38) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Good luck
  • A face only a mother would love (22/07/2026, 18:22) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    How you check people’s age and ID when they all in robber style ski mask?
  • asking for a friend (23/07/2026, 00:46) Like (0) Dislike (2) Reply
    So everyone is a drinking police?
  • In God trust me, only (23/07/2026, 02:11) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Alcohol drinks are sold 365 days of each year in the BVI. Emancipation holidays are scheduled for two weeks of each year annually. That calculated 14 days minus from 365 to 351 days. If only 14 days during emancipation students are to be protected from brain defilficient alcohol drinks which include, rum, vodka, mount Gay, whiskey, and dozens of other named brain drinks, the quest is how much do the sellers of these brain defilficiency altering drinks truly care for students, and the safety of all the people of the British Virgin Islands? Does not safe opperation of driving a vehicle make good sense any more. It time to stoop folling ourselves. All drinks that decrease the largely judgment of all human after usage need to be control by laws. But as usual we are much talk of principles stan that should become laws, but after we have talk, we talk more, and more, and more, but until we can talk no more of things we will never do nor never intent to do, because when it comes to the issue of collecting more money, stealing some too, morals principle are being overwhelmingly ignored so-called emancipation celebrations time, Christmas celebrations time, and New Year time especially, annually, but on a lesser extent 365 days yearly., as is normal in most countries, if not all worldwide
  • FEO GOMEZ (23/07/2026, 11:03) Like (1) Dislike (4) Reply
    Que? How you going stop it. A minor just got to ask me to get the drink i charge bout a $5 ser charge. Lst festival I made at least $50 of ser charges.
  • drink (24/07/2026, 06:16) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
    I love hard drinking and loose women.
  • guy hill (24/07/2026, 07:31) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Some young people will hide and some will not hide to drink alcohol and smoke weed. Been going on since the 1970's in the virgin islands. Speak to your children anyway.


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