Have fun, not regret

She made a plea, particularly to young people, to steer clear of HIV/AIDS and warned against violent criminal activity and gang warfare. Alfred said caution and moderation must be the watchwords for the season as she formally launched Carnival celebrations in Tobago at the Scarborough Market Square on Friday night.

She said Carnival was designed to showcase the best of pan, mas and calypso.

"But I want to put it to you that we have to become conscious... conscious of the fact that too many wrong elements are coming into our Carnival," Alfred told the Market Square crowd.

She said Tobago was known as a nice, safe place and this should be maintained.

"We come out here to enjoy ourselves. If you’re going to a function to enjoy yourself, don’t walk with a weapon. If you walk with a weapon, you know that you have intentions of using it. Let us keep our Carnival clean," she urged.

Noting that there was the tendency to overdo things at Carnival, Alfred added, "Let us not go to excess. If we do things in excess the emotions are going to overcome us and we are going to do things that we will regret."

She specifically warned young people: "Abstain! Abstain! Abstain! Because, nine months later, and in some instances, now with the HIV/AIDS, it could be three months or six months later, you are going to regret it!"

The launch featured displays from several mas bands, as well as calypso and steelband performances and traditional mas characters. The evening ended with a mini jump up.