noticed one from Miami ("Miami Ink", Tuesdays at 10:00 p.m. on TLC), one from Los Angeles (L.A. Ink, Tuesday at 8:00 on TLC), and now there is another one coming from London (with the unpredictable title, "London Ink") that is supposed to start soon. Evidently it stars the guy who tattooed David Beckham (whoever he is). Blimey.Michigan has its own tattoo establishments, too. But they aren't regulated by the state. It looks like Lansing is finally going to get around to regulating them. Amazingly, with the exception of a parental consent rule and a prohibition on tattooing drunk people, there are no laws regulating tattoo and piercing parlors in Michigan. This, despite that the fact that tattoos and piercings can carry with them a host of undesired consequences (hepatitis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus--a.k.a. MRSA--staph, and other sundry infections to name just a few).
That could soon change if, as expected, Governor Jennifer Granholm signs legislation passed last week requiring body art shops to get a $500 state license. They must also meet safety and sanitary standards. As it stands, local governmental units decide whether to license and inspect body art shops or not. Wayne and Oakland counties in southeast Michigan are among the few that have their own regulations and inspectors to enforce them
. But most other counties (up to two-thirds of Michigan Counties) don't have any such regulations. Starting in 2009, all county health departments would have to conduct annual inspections under the proposed law.Tattoo artists and body piercers seem to be generally in favor of the move. "We are dealing with blood and body fluids. We're not just cutting hair," said Kris Lachance, who owns the tattoo and body piercing studio in East Lansing near Michigan State University.
Maybe we'll be seeing a "Detroit Ink" show soon, now that we're going legitimate.
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