Stop All This Drinking, Skelton-Cline
Clergyman Claude O. Skelton-Cline used his June 16 broadcast to warn Virgin Islands youth about rising rum consumption, urging young people—especially women—to stop heavy drinking for their health. He warned of liver and kidney damage, weight gain and risky behaviour, and called on families and community leaders to address the issue.
Skelton-Cline has issued a blunt warning to young people in the Virgin Islands about what he says is a growing problem of heavy drinking, particularly of rum. Speaking on his broadcast on June 16, 2026, Skelton-Cline told listeners he has observed ‘‘a tremendous amount of alcohol’’ being consumed by young residents over recent weeks. ‘‘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,’’ he said. Skelton-Cline said the physical effects are already visible. ‘‘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,’’ he said, adding that heavy drinking can ‘‘mess up your liver; it’s messing up your kidneys; it’s going to cause poor decisions to be made.’’ He warned that habitual drinking can turn into social or functional alcoholism: ‘‘You can become a social alcoholic, a functional alcoholic and don’t even know it.’’ He also challenged the idea that drinking is a way to numb emotional pain. ‘‘You mean to tell me that we are in so much pain this is anesthetising the pain?
I’m trying to help you,’’ he said, urging young people to stop for their own wellbeing. The clergyman encouraged healthier alternatives, even recommending vitamins instead of liquor. Skelton-Cline referenced Scripture when addressing critics, noting the Bible’s reference to a little wine for the stomach but stressing that his concern is ‘‘hard liquor’’ and its long-term physical and social consequences.
He used vivid language to stress urgency, warning that public reputation and physical health are at risk. His comments echo wider public-health concerns about alcohol use among youth. For BVI residents, the message highlights a role for parents, schools, churches and health services to open conversations about substance use, recognise triggers that lead to habitual drinking, and support young people toward healthier choices.
Community leaders and health providers can help by offering education on alcohol’s risks, screening for harmful use, and pointing young people to local medical advice or counselling when needed. Skelton-Cline’s appeal is a reminder that confronting alcohol misuse will require both individual choices and community action. (Report based on remarks aired June 16 and published by Virgin Islands News Online.)
Primary source: VINO