The Health Minister was last night accused of ignoring the medical profession for refusing to ask the Treasury to raise excise duty on cheap alcohol.

Andy Kerr came under fire the day after a report showed Scots were drinking themselves to death at twice the rate of the rest of the UK, with a fatality every six hours.

On Thursday, Mr Kerr said strong white ciders were a particular issue, and as big a problem as the tonic wine Buckfast, which he called "a seriously bad drink".

However, it emerged that ministers recently admitted to the SNP they had never asked the UK government to raise the tax on strong cider.

Asked yesterday if ministers had approached the Treasury to raise duty on any kind of alcohol, Mr Kerr's officials initially said "No", then tried to backtrack.

Mr Kerr eventually issued a statement saying he had made his views known, but refused to say what those views were, or who he had told.

The reluctance to discuss tax fuelled speculation that the executive had made no formal appeal to raise duties, putting peace with Chancellor Gordon Brown ahead of health issues.

The Treasury is understood to be opposed to using excise duty to tackle people's health as it is "too blunt an instrument". However, there is extensive research showing higher duty can have a major impact on intake.

For every 10% the price rises, there is 5% drop in demand for beer in pubs and 10% in off-sales; 8% for wine; and 13% for spirits. The deterrent effect is seen as strongest among young people.

Dr Harry Burns, Scotland's chief medical officer, has also said higher tax may well be needed to address alcohol-related deaths.

Kenny MacAskill, the SNP spokesman, said strong beers incurred higher duties, yet there was a flat rate on cider, regardless of strength.

"Price is clearly a factor in alcohol consumption and abuse. The medical profession has asked for increases. There's a clear problem with high alcohol ciders - the ned's drink of choice.

"I think the executive should be taking action. It's a distinct problem we have and we have to address it."

Mr Kerr refused to say what he had said, if anything, on the issue to the UK government.

"Decisions in relation to taxation are made on a UK-wide basis by the Treasury, but I have made my views known on a number of occasions," he said.

At a conference in Edinburgh yesterday, children called for alcohol education programmes to start at the age of 10 as the messages reaching teenagers were too little too late.

Karen Reid, a peer educator with the Edinburgh health group Fast Forward, told the Unhappy Hours symposium: "I cannot remember being educated on alcohol. I would like to see something substantial for young people before they get to the age where they think alcohol is great."

Peter Robinson, a former social worker now linked to a liver transplant unit in Edinburgh, said: "It is common to be listening to children as young as 10 talk about drinking and partying."

One of the UK's leading doctors called for a total ban on alcohol advertising, including sports sponsorship.

Professor Ian Gilmore, head of the Royal College of Physicians, said the measure was needed to stem the "rising tide of deaths".

He said children were influenced by the drink logos emblazoned on football strips, and his own nine-year-old nephew had a Carlsberg-branded Liverpool shirt.

"The evidence around price and availability of alcohol is that it is very cheap in the UK and has never been more available. We really are quite liberal in comparison with many countries.

"It would be hard to have a total advertising ban straight away, but we can work towards it."