A requirement for tattooist and piercers to refuse service to anyone they suspect is under the influence of "alcohol, drugs or mind-altering substances" could be removed from Dunedin City Council’s Beauty Therapists, Tattooists and Skin-Piercers bylaw.
The present rule "may be unreasonable and potentially unenforceable", a staff report to the council’s customer and regulatory services committee said.
However, a Dunedin woman who has received six tattoos while under the influence said she regretted "every single one of them".
"The problem when you’re getting a tattoo drunk is you’ve got these grand ideas in your head that aren’t so grand when you’re sober the next morning.
"You actually bleed a lot because the blood thins [when drunk]."
She had considered getting some of the tattoos lasered off, but had been held back by the cost.
Dunedin tattoo artists the Otago Daily Times spoke to said the proposed change would have no impact on their studio policy, and they would continue to refuse services to people under the influence — drunk people were "a pain in the arse" to tattoo, one artist said.
Another proposed change would require parents or legal guardians to be present during a tattoo or piercing for a teenager under 16, as well as providing permission.
The proposals were some of many, largely minor, changes to the bylaw, recommended during its 10-year review.
The report to the committee said the number of beauty therapy, tattoo and piercing businesses in Dunedin had grown to 86, up from 60 in 2016.
"The bylaw is generally working well to regulate appearance industries in Dunedin, and to help with reducing the incidence of infections and the transfer of communicable diseases."
The committee will discuss the proposed changes at a meeting next week before the changes are consulted on. A hearing on the changes is expected to be held in June.
