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New state legislation that became
effective in July requires tattoo and piercing shops to register and pass
safety tests. Assembly member Fiona Ma (D-San Francisco) said she authored the
bill to protect people from hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases.
“I wanted to do something about this
to ensure diseases would not be shared through needles,” Ma said.
The legislation allows counties to
charge fees, which will fund the annual inspections. “It’s the intent of this
law to protect the client and the artist,” said Anne Frey, an environmental
specialist in Sacramento County, which charges practitioners $142 a year. A
green “pass” placard can be placed in the shop’s window after a positive
inspection. County officials say there are more than 175 sites, but just 47
have been inspected.
Underground artists operating out of
their homes are the problem, said some shop owners.
“If they don’t go after people who
are working out of their house and not compliant, what is the point?” asked
Dave O’Connor, owner of Sacramento Tattoo. O’Connor and others said the best
practitioners are trained on blood-borne pathogens and did 90 percent of what
is required by the law.
Nonetheless, the new rules prompted
changes at local shops, including new sinks with touch-free faucets, new
cleaning regimens, and updated paperwork.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
