THE Guild of Students at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), St Augustine Campus, has voiced full support for the Government’s proposal to raise the legal age for alcohol, marijuana, and gambling, insisting that such substances are not integral to the values or culture of student life on campus.

Despite growing public debate over the unpopular proposal, the Guild has taken a position that places student health and long-term development above immediate freedoms. In a media release on Friday, the student body said the move by the Government was a necessary public health measure designed to protect young people across the country.

Under the proposed changes, the legal age for alcohol consumption would increase from 18 to 21 years, while both gambling and marijuana use would rise from 21 to 25 years. These policy shifts would directly affect a significant portion of The UWI’s approximately 13,000 students, many of whom fall under the new thresholds.