HALIFAX -- Nova Scotia will hold consultations next month on whether certain flavours should be exempt from a ban on flavoured tobacco and e-cigarette juice.

The provincial government plans to gather input through online submissions in January and focus groups will be held to collect feedback from youth.

Meetings will also be held with e-cigarette vendors and small business organizations representing tobacco vendors.

The government passed a bill this fall that outlaws the use of water pipes such as hookahs and e-cigarettes in indoor public places as well as the sale of e-cigarettes to people under 19.

When the government introduced the legislation it also proposed to ban flavoured tobacco, but it later backed down from that proposal and instead promised further consultation.

The law takes effect May 31 and Health Minister Leo Glavine says it's his intention to have legislation regulating flavoured tobacco come into effect at the same time.