Britain needs to wake up to the epidemic of binge-drinking among teenagers and the misery it is causing thousands of families, one of the country's most senior policemen has warned. Mary Riddell: Gordon Brown and 'cops and culture' Ken Jones, the president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, issued a stinging rebuke to parents who supply their underage children with booze, citing police data showing up to 50 per cent are getting it from parents. He criticised the drinks industry for targeting the young and exporting its "negative costs on to the streets, hospitals and into the criminal justice system". His comments came after The Daily Telegraph disclosed Government figures showing a near 40 per cent rise in the numbers of drunk children who are admitted to hospitals. Concerns about the issue have been heightened by a spate of high-profile crimes, including the murder of Garry Newlove, a father of three, by a group of drunken youths. Mr Jones said yesterday: "We need to take a hard look at this and whether we should really be looking to make profits on the back of this sort of misery. "Why is it we have got ourselves into a position where lager is being sold cheaper than water? Why is it we have got huge entertainment and drinks companies marketing alcohol to children? "We have got to ask ourselves why we have these products developed in the way they are, why in the middle of some of the most already struggling estates there are outlets for some of this cheap stuff and why it is we continue to see products developed solely targeted at young people. "Elements of the industry are taking their role much more seriously, but I have to say many more are not. "We can't allow them to continue to export their negative costs on to the streets, hospitals and into the criminal justice system. It's got to stop. "Fundamentally this is about how the kids get hold of alcohol. We know a good half of them are getting it from the family, so there is a message to parents and communities too. "Fifty per cent - our research is showing - are getting it from other than over the counter. We need to actually wake up in this country. We have got a real problem with the way alcohol is marketed, the way it is consumed." Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, announced this month that police will have tougher powers to confiscate booze from underage drinkers and fine their parents up to £1,000. Meanwhile, it emerged that KPMG will carry out a review of whether pubs, clubs, off-licenses and supermarkets are abiding by alcohol industry standards. It will focus on cut-price drink promotions, and a change in the law to force retailers to act responsibly has not been ruled out. | 
