Social commentator and host of Honestly Speaking, Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline, has encouraged young people to curb their excessive drinking. Photo: Internet Source

Pastor Claude O. Skelton-Cline during the June 16, 2026, airing of his show Honestly Speaking on ZBVI 780 AM. Photo: Facebook

Public health was among many topics he discussed during the June 16, 2026, airing of his show. “I want to ask these young people, and especially you young ladies. I see a lot of young women, y’all, drinking a lot of rum. Notice I didn’t say alcohol; rum.”

Skelton-Cline said he has observed over the course of many weeks the tremendous amount of alcohol young people in the Virgin Islands are consuming. 

“Have you noticed…one of the things that is happening, you ending up with some big bellies. You look like you pregnant, and you ain’t even pregnant.”

Anesthesing the pain? 

Skelton-Cline went a step further and asked if the people of the VI are hurting that much. “You mean to tell me that we are in so much pain this is anesthetising the pain? What is this about?” 

He said he does not care if the young people get mad, adding, “I’m trying to help you.” 

He stressed his point again, telling the young people that drinking needs to stop or it will kill them. “It’s messing up your liver; it’s messing up your kidneys; it’s going to cause poor decisions to be made; your front is going to become a public park. What in God’s name are we doing?”

The clergyman said that while the Bible says Paul said a little wine is good for the stomach, that is not what he is referring to. “I’m talking about hard liquor. Young people and all that thing does is turn into sugar, turn into fat, and that’s what makes your belly fat.”

Social & functional alcoholics

Skelton-Cline also observed that some of these young people only drink when they are among certain people, in certain places and at certain times. 

“You know what those are? Those are triggers as to how habits are developed. I want you to pay attention. When you are not with certain people, you don’t drink. When you don’t go to certain places, you don’t drink. At certain times in the day, you don’t drink. I’m telling you, you can become a social alcoholic, a functional alcoholic and don’t even know it.”

He encouraged them to take healthy vitamin shots instead. “Stop all this drinking for your own wellbeing.”