I’ve never made any secret about the fact that I fully, 100% support the regulation of the tattoo industry. I can’t really see any reason not to. A few weeks back, I blogged about Toronto, Canada and how they are now making the switch to regulating their tattooists and tattoo studios. Well, today I came across a post on DCist, about how the tattoo industry in DC is not regulated at all, making it one of the few spots in the USA that doesn’t regulate tattoo.
Not only does DC not regulate its artists and studios, but there also seems to be a bit of resistance to the idea. Why? Well, some artists feel that it’s a money grab for the government. Hey, don’t get me wrong - I’m probably far more sceptical of any motivation that the government ever has to do anything than the average joe, but in this case, I’ve got to say that tattoo regulation isn’t about helping out the government, it’s about helping out the tattoo industry and its clients.
‘That’s not good news for Matt Knopp, who has owned and operated Tattoo Paradise in Adams Morgan since 2003. Knopp, who says he follows strict industry standards like not reusing needles or ink, worries that licensing and regulations wouldn’t add much more than a financial burden on parlors throughout the city.
“It’s another way for the government to make money off of people. It’s a way to put their hands in another till,” he told DCist. Given the city’s ongoing financial troubles, there’s probably some truth to that concern.
Additionally, Knopp said that having tattoo parlors regulated by a board responsible for barber shops and beauty salons doesn’t make sense for his business. “What do they know about tattoos? Barber shops and tattoo shops — there’s a night and day difference.”‘
Oh come on Matt, if you’re up to standard and running a completely legit business, what do you have to worry about? In the end, the small amount of cash that you’ll have to pay out to be regulated will most likely end up making you more money, simply because people will want to come an get tattooed from someone they know is regulated and approved by local health authorities. Not only that, but it shouldn’t have to be up to the customer to ask about health practices in a studio before they get tattooed. I’ve had to ask tattooists about their health practices when I’ve been tattooed in other countries and it makes me feel like a right dick. But what’s the alternative if there’s no certification or regulation?
Look at it this way: you go into a restaurant to eat. Before ordering, you find out that the kitchen hasn’t been inspected by the health board and that the restaurant has no license to be serving food. Are you eager to eat at a place that has no health regulations or certification in place? I know that I’m not. So you decide to leave, but wait! The chef comes running out of the kitchen and tells you that he follows all the safety standards anyway and keeps his kitchen up to code with the latest health board requirements even though he has no legal right to be making food. Make you feel any better? Me either.
Regardless of all this talk about whether or not DC tattooists should or shouldn’t be regulated, the fact of the matter is that quite sooner rather than later they will be:
‘In a statement, the D.C. Department of Health said that “draft legislation for regulating tattoo and piercing establishments is under review. [W]e are working vigilantly to replace outdated code provisions and draft regulations that will comply with new industry standards as quickly as possible.”‘
Great news, if you ask me.
Tags: DCist, Health Risks, Matt Knopp, News, Stories, Tattoo Artists, tattoo blog, tattoo regulation, Tips, Workforce
July 3rd, 2011 at 12:56 pm
You are an idiot.
Government regulation will be one of the worst things to ever happen to the craft of tattooing.
It starts with the health board making sure we have an autoclave. That’s fine.
They check that our fire exits aren’t blocked and the power sockets aren’t broken. That’s fine.
When they insist which inks we use and which approved equipment - that’s when the quality of the work we can produce suffers. Then there’s a problem.
The people who make legislation know nothing about tattooing and what makes it safe or unsafe. They check that you own equipment and not that you understand cross-contamination.
The ‘tattoo artists’ who work with the government don’t care about the future of tattooing. They are usually terrible tattooers who know that the only way they can stay in business is to adjust the rules to make it more difficult for more established tattooers to follow the guidelines they instigated. They care about running their competition out of business, not the well-being of their customers or the future of tattooing.
As a side point, I’d like to mention the distinction between the tattoo ‘industry’ and the tattoo ‘craft’:
I don’t have, nor do I want any part in the ‘industry’. But I’m deeply involved in the ‘craft’ of tattooing. I don’t give a shit about tv shows, branded clothing, celebrity tattooers and their celebrity clients and the many assorted tattoo-related products available etc. I give a shit about doing the best work I can, day after day, giving my clients the best tattoo possible while respecting the rich traditions of tattooing as a folk art.
Legislation is good for the industry but terrible for the craft.
It’s probably good for bloggers too, so I doubt you’ll agree with me but it will be terrible for people who want to get great tattoos.
July 4th, 2011 at 11:07 am
Thanks for the kind words.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t all UK tattooists currently legally required to register with their local environmental health agency?
In other words, aren’t UK tattooists already regulated?
July 7th, 2011 at 5:31 am
Your sarcasm isn’t funny.
In England tattoo shops must have a business licence to perform cosmetic procedures.
The shop licence is granted by the same health and safety inspectors that inspect any premises that are visited by the general public.
Different cities and boroughs require different licences. Some require individual practitioners to have a licence. NONE of the licences require any kind or proficiency or exam.
My licence allows me to perform cosmetic ‘therapy’. A hairdresser has the same licence.
Calling that situation ‘regulated’ grossly simplifies the situation in an attempt to discount my opinion, therefore ‘prove’ your opinion.
But yeah, Matt Knopp is right. The licence we are legally required to own is not to protect the public but to supply a revenue stream to local authorities.
It’s well known amongst those of us who have encountered these local authorities that they are incompetent and lack knowledge of the very thing they are inspecting. We share horror stories of having to clean after they have cross-contaminated during their inspection. Are these the people who you would like to regulate something for you and keep you ’safe’?
Please try to understand my original post before adding more sarcasm or comment.
July 10th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
You’re right Stewart, my sarcasm isn’t funny and I apologise. I guess I was just a bit defensive over being called an idiot for voicing my opinion on an issue that I’m concerned about.
First of all, when I say that I’m in favour of regulation, I mean that I think tattooists should be licensed (as they are in the UK) and that each studio should be accounted for and inspected on a yearly basis. How that inspection goes down is out of my hands. I can tell you this though, in the past I have worked in commerical kitchens. When the health inspector comes in to check things out, 99.9% of the time he is full of shit, concocting crazy scenarios and generally making the lives of those who work in the kitchen hell. But at the end of the day, I know that he’s just doing his job and trying to make things safe for the customer. It’s hard to appreciate when you’re on the receiving end of that scrutiny, but it’s the truth.
I am not a tattooist. But I do get tattooed. And I know that when I go and get tattooed, I want to be 100% positive that where I go to get tattooed and who I get tattooed by has safety and cleanliness first and foremost on their minds. Not everyone can afford to visit a high end tattooist who is certainly going to be following the strictest of guidelines. I should be able to walk into Johnny Tattoo’s shop in the crummy area of town and still get the best and safest tattoo he can give. I personally wouldn’t and don’t go to lower end tattoo shops, but lots of people do and they should be able to do so in complete safety.
Second, I don’t advocate that the government tell you what equipment to use or how to use it. BUT, if you’re so concerned about this, it occurs to me that you would make an effort to change things. If the artists within the industry (and yes it is an industry, and no, that’s not a dirty word), don’t look out for themselves, then no one else will. Perhaps you should be pushing to have more competent and knowledgeable people working in the arm of the health department that inspects tattoo studios. Obviously artists themselves don’t have the time to do it, but perhaps there could be those people who are close to the artists and the industry who might be better suited for the task. I’m not sure what the best answer is. What I am sure of however, is that coming down on people like me or anyone else with an interest in this industry who isn’t a tattooist only does everyone more harm than good. I’m on your side. I don’t want to see talented artists have to suffer at the hands of some bureacratic nonsense. But if you’re not prepared to organise and speak up about the issues that effect you, and if you don’t feel that anyone but tattooists themselves know anything about this industry, then I’d say you’re doomed to suffer at the hands of the man. Because believe me, if there’s one thing any and every government loves more than anything, it’s money. And when money can be made without any opposition, it will be. You can count on it.
July 12th, 2011 at 2:39 pm
All your arguments make sense. As theoretical points. The practice is a different matter. I see and fully understand your points but I just don’t agree.
It’s incredibly naive to think that any modern government agency can affect an inherently outsider ‘industry’ in a positive way.
There is a tattoo industry, it’s not a dirty word, but I have, not do I want any part of it.
I mostly disagree with your last point about tattooers suffering at the hands of the man. There are ways for tattooers to work underground. To me, that would be ideal. It’s worked like that in Japan for decades.
I don’t think there’s anything more to say here, you make your living with words, I with pictures. You write about tattoos and issues you feel are connected. I make tattoos and am solely concerned about quality tattooing. For me, the industry is almost completely separate from quality tattooing. So while I have empathy, I can never have sympathy for the industry side of tattooing.