Health Minister Mark Butler has accused tobacco companies of targeting Australian children with vaping products and promised to work with the states to crack down on black market sales.

As the Nationals push the Albanese government to ease access to vaping products for adults and regulate them in the same way as cigarettes – a move health experts say would be a backward step on Australia’s strong anti-smoking policies – Mr Butler told Labor MPs that vaping had “exploded” in the past five years, and it was damaging health.