June 30, 2007 - Herald & Review
Charley Brown, owner of Tattoo U in Decatur, has been in the business for 22 years and said that if universal precautions are taken, there is no chance of transmitting a disease from one person to another.
A new law taking effect Sunday will require state inspection of all tattoo and body piercing parlors to ensure those precautions are taken. The new regulation is not being put into law to cut down on the spread of diseases but to increase blood donation.
"Right now, if you get a tattoo or a piercing, you can't donate blood for a year in Illinois," said Melanie Arnold, spokeswoman for the Illinois State Department of Public Health.
State records currently show that a minimum of 150 people are turned away from donating because of a tattoo or piercing, said Margret Vaughn, lobbyist for Illinois Coalition of Community Blood Centers.
"And that's just the ones we have documented; others have come before and know not to come back," Vaughn said. "It is our number one problem at high school and college blood drives."
The new law follows other states in allowing people to donate at most centers after 30 days.
"Ultimately, it will be up to the medical directors to decide, but other states that have statewide regulations allow donation after 30 days," said Lee Milner of the Central Illinois Community Blood Center.
The new law will require statewide inspections of tattoo and body piercing parlors for general sanitation and cleanliness.
This is the first time regulation will be required on a statewide level, but tattoo parlors in Macon County already undergo these inspections. The county ordinance has been around for at least five years and requires tattoo parlors to have a permit, said Charles Tribout director of environmental health for the Macon County Health Department.
The health department inspects for general sanitation and cleanliness. It ensures that the artists have proper training and documentation and an autoclave in which they sterilize the needles. Although they are still waiting for instructions from the state, the health department anticipates the only change will be the permits becoming state fees, Tribout said.
"There is no control of what people have done in the past before they come into your shop, but the chance of getting something in a licensed shop is zero," Brown said. "As far as I know, there will be no difference, and the blood donation (change) is a good thing."