Legalizing tattooing

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Tattoos are not to everyone's taste, but there's no reason tattoo artists should be prevented from plying their trade in South Carolina. Lawmakers finally came to this reasonable conclusion, voting recently to get rid of the ban on tattooing in our state.

But they placed a burdensome obstacle in the way of tattoo artists: City, town or county councils must pass ordinances to allow tattooing before shops can open for business.

It's hard to say whether that would, for all practical purposes, maintain the ban on tattooing throughout the state or not. That provision may go too far, although local governments certainly should be able to regulate the location of tattoo parlors through zoning.

It was long past time for state lawmakers to legalize tattooing. Getting rid of the ban will help ensure minimum standards of safety and health in what is now an underground enterprise in the state.

Tattoo parlors will be licensed and tattoo artists will be required to receive training in health and safety. That will take the practice out of back alleys and some bars — reducing the danger of hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases.

In addition, advocates argue that tattooing is a form of personal expression protected by the First Amendment. Every state in the nation — except South Carolina and Oklahoma — had accepted that reasonable notion. Now, Oklahoma may remain the sole holdout.

As long as South Carolinians want to enjoy the benefits of so-called body art, the state should legalize the practice and enforce basic standards to protect public health.