Miriam seeks to regulate body piercing, tattooing

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago has filed a bill that would regulate body piercing and tattooing operations in the country to limit these to licensed practitioners.

Senate Bill No. 2141, or the Body Piercing and Tattooing Regulation Act, would require body-piercing practitioners and tattoo artists to secure permits from the Department of Health before offering their services to the public.

Santiago said the purpose of the regulation is to prevent medical complications arising from the work of untrained people and unsanitary conditions.

She pointed out that oral or tongue piercing performed by unlicensed artists under unsanitary conditions leads to increased risk of infection, damage to dentition, speech impediment and nerve damage.

"Body piercing is no safer. Health experts have repeatedly warned that people who undergo body piercing at the hands of untrained people in unsanitary conditions risk bacterial infection, bleeding inflammation of the skin and local trauma," Santiago said.

Apart from high risk of infection, Santiago pointed out there is also a risk of contracting Hepatitis B and C and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from tattooing and body piercing done without strict observance of medical precautions.

By medical precautions, Santiago explained this is a medical term referring to the treatment of every patient as if they were infected with HIV to contain the spread of the virus.

The tattoo and body piercing artists would have to use non-porous gloves, goggles and face shields to avoid the known means of transmitting HIV.

Under her bill, artists found guilty of performing such services without a permit from the DOH would be fined P50,000 to P100,000 and/or face imprisonment of one month to six months.

For the owner or operator of the tattoo parlor or body-piercing studio, the bill calls for a penalty of six months to six years and/or a fine ranging from P100,000 to P200,000.

Santiago said that in prison where tattooing is common practice, the government should study the implementation of a program offering authorized tattooing studios at the facilities.

She noted there is such a program in Canada where the inmates are trained to operate tattoo studios in order to reduce the risk of infections and to serve as a source of livelihood. — Marvin Sy