Customs Announces Liquor License Enforcement Campaign

The Saint Lucia Customs and Excise Department has announced a campaign to enforce provisions of the Liquor License Act. According to the Liquor License Act Cap. 13.17 of the laws of Saint Lucia, persons who offer intoxicating liquor for sale must have the relevant liquor license. In this regard, the Customs and Excise Department has urged current holders of expired licenses to renew their licenses immediately. “Persons discovered selling intoxicating liquor without the relevant license are liable to prosecution, and any liquor found on the premises will be liable to seizure,” a Department advisory warned. Illegal alcohol sales, which include selling intoxicating beverages to minors, have become a source of concern in Saint Lucia. The Substance Abuse Advisory Council Secretariat (SAACS) has declared that consuming alcohol has woven itself into the cultural fabric of Saint Lucia, particularly in social gatherings where youth start drinking at an early age. During the observance this year of October 2 as World No Alcohol Day, SAACS highlighted the profound impact of alcohol misuse not just on individual health but on families and society as a whole. The police Community Relations Branch (CRB) has also expressed concern over alcohol abuse among young people in Saint...