Latest update April 16th, 2026 12:40 AM
Broomes sounds alarm over children roaming bars, adult parties
Kaieteur News – The Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) has issued a stinging warning about what it calls a growing national crisis: the increasing exposure of minors to alcohol, drugs, bars, and adult entertainment venues.
Leader of ALP, Simona Broomes
The party says this disturbing trend exposes systemic failures in families, schools, and social institutions, and signals a dangerous erosion of Guyana’s cultural and moral norms. In a statement the ALP said children as young as 13 and 14 were seen entering an event clearly advertised as 18+ only.
Although patrons wore admission wristbands and police officers were present, no ID checks were carried out. The ALP slammed this as a gross dereliction of responsibility, arguing that the real priority should be protecting children, not simply confirming that someone has paid to enter a venue.
Citing the Protection of Children Act, Cap. 46:06, which makes it an offence for any person to sell, give, or cause intoxicating liquor to be in a child’s possession, the ALP says society continues to knowingly place minors in environments where they can be groomed, exploited, trafficked, manipulated, and emotionally damaged.
To confront what it describes as a deepening national emergency, the ALP is calling for immediate action, which includes: mandatory ID checks at all bars, concerts, and adult-only events; human Services intervention to ensure proper family supervision or temporary guardianship for children repeatedly found in adult spaces, plus counseling and follow-up for at-risk youth. Additionally, ALP calls for penalties and licensing reviews for venues that admit minors. The party also calls for visible, public enforcement of the Protection of Children Act, including regular compliance reporting. The ALP also referenced the government’s planned rollout of electronic ID cards, urging that the new system be designed to prioritise child protection and prevent minors from accessing unsafe locations and illegal services.
But the party stressed that this is not solely a government issue, it is a societal responsibility. Parents and guardians, it said, must take an active role in knowing where their children are, who they are with, and what spaces they are entering. Children must only attend age-appropriate events, never adult venues where drugs, alcohol, and predatory individuals are present. The ALP noted that its Blueprint for Prosperity envisions a Guyana where every child is guaranteed safety, structure, and dignity, and argues that national stability depends on shielding children from predatory environments and the systemic failures that endanger them. The party’s message is blunt: Guyana must wake up. Protecting children is not optional, not negotiable, and not someone else’s job. It is a shared duty and one that the ALP says the nation can no longer afford to neglect.
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What is the cause of this alarm? This is nothing new in Guyana and dates back to when I was a child at least. As children we could buy cigarettes and liquor for our adult family without them being present. Has it gotten worse that she has now noticed it?