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The views of our columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent those ‘ of the newspaper. Fairway Group, a division of Southâ€" ern Ontario Community Newspaâ€" pers Inc., a division of Southam Pubâ€" lications, a CanWest Company. 886â€"2830 Fax: 886â€"9383 editorial@waterloochronicle.ca sales@waterloochronicle.ca composing@waterloochronicle.ca WATERLOO CHRONICLE The Waterloo Chronicle is published every Wednesday by The Dwayne Weidendort Gerry Mattice Andrea Bailey Bob Vrbanac Reporter, Ext. 227 Sports Editor, Ext. 229 The Watertoo Chronicle welcomes letters to the Editor They should be signed with name. address and phone number and will be verified for accuracy. 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Laurie Ridgway Associate Publisher: Audited circulation: 27,538 Sales. 623â€"66 7 Editor, Ext. 215 Tattoo buyer beware By Jane Mrrcueu My 21â€"yearâ€"old daughter got her tattoo. I had talked her out of it during her teen Gothic phase, so it‘s not spiders or a skull. I had hoped that the urge would disappear as she got older. No such luck. Some of my words got through; she creâ€" ated her own design, two bees and a violet trailing across her lower back. It‘s a spot invisible during a job interview, though visible with the fashionable lowâ€"riding pants. 1 couldn‘t stop Gwyneth from having a tattoo, so I went with her to see what the business was all about. Bright and clean, Tora Tattoo and Body Piercing occupies a house behind McPhail‘s in Waterloo. At the reception area, plastic models of the various strange body areas that people can pierce grossed out Gwyn‘s friend and myself. To my surprise, petitions on the counter called for stricter laws governing tattoo and body piercing parlours. 8 S I talked to Jamie Izumi, owner of Tora, and Cathy Egan, who controls inspection at the Region. What I learned shocked me. For those under 18, Jamie makes sure a parent consents to a tattoo or piercing, but no federal or provincial law requires this. As long as the child or teenager understands the procedure, they do not need a parent‘s consent. Some pariours have tattooed or pierced children as young as 12 without a parent‘s knowledge. Yes, it hurt. The lower back is more sensitive than the traâ€" ditional upper arm. s s _ According to Cathy Egan, any procedure that includes piercing the skin can lead to hepatitis B or C, with a smaller risk of AIDS. No vaccine exists for Hepatitis C, a serious disâ€" ease that leads to liver damage and death. Hepatitis can live on needles and surfaces. into the original container. At Tora, the used needles are placed in a container and an autoclave is used for sterilizaâ€" tion. All this adds to the expense of a tattoo. A bad operator may take short cuts. Jamie notes that banning tattooing or piercing won‘t work. New York City tried and the businesses went underground, not to mention the people who would tattoo or pierce themselves. Oldâ€"style piercing guns that put the earring on the gun are another unsafe situation. The newer guns contain a disâ€" posable needle changed each time. For all these procedures, the operator should wear disposable gloves. Piercings done at local malls concern the health departâ€" ment. There are no hand washing sinks, the operator may not use disposable gloves and oldâ€"style piercing guns are still around. It‘s not enough to disinfect the gun between cusâ€" tomers, hepatitis is very resilient. At Tora, each needle used is disposable and sterile. The tattooist pours colour into separate cups and uses a separate needle for each colour. The dye is thrown away at the end of the session. In a less reputable place, it could be poured back How are the region and the cities involved in policing these hazards? In 1999 the province released a Protocol for Personal Services for any facility where there is a risk of expoâ€" sure to blood. This also includes electrolysis, manicurists and barber shops. It contains many good suggestions, but that‘s what they are, suggestions. The Region cannot license tattoo parlours. It is done by the cities. The City of Waterloo is amending its bylaw to require health department approval before certain premises are licensed. Business licences are issued when a business opens. There is no yearâ€"toâ€"year followâ€"up by the city, that‘s not the purpose of a business licence. The regional health department can apply the act used to inspect restaurants when problems with tattoo or piercing pariours are encountered. However, it is difficult to prove the existence of a health hazard in court, because the diseases have long incubation periods. They inspect premises once a year, but no one is charged. To solve this problem, the province must put teeth into the safety protocol. The Region would need to increase the number of health inspectors. The health department has created an educational bookâ€" let for businesses. Excellent pamphlets on the risks are disâ€" tributed to schools. At regional council, I asked what could be done to remeâ€" dy this situation. Council sent a letter to the province asking that the old style of piercing gun be outlawed and that the new protocol be given teeth. I was very disappointed. Educate yourself and your children on the risks of tattoos work of the operator. A tattoo or piercing lasts for life and could end your life. It‘s parents and customers beware. Editor‘s note: While it is the policy of the Waterloo Chronicle not to run letters to the editor or guest columns by weeks prior to announcing her candidacy for regional counâ€" cil. And so in fairness, it is published here. VIEWPOINT The budget is lower than two options proposed by the city‘s finance department, increases of either 6.63 per cent or 5.53 per cent. 'I!mmb Tax: It could have been worse. It was a memorable moment, but you That‘s what Waterloo taxpayers can tell _ have to be an old goat to admit having themselves after getting hit with their 2003 _ seen it. Powell showed, I think, how Husâ€" tax bills. They carry a 4.95â€"perâ€"cent _ Sein has been playing fast and loose with increase and that means an increase for _ the truth over lo these many years. I don‘t the average homeowner. know that there still was sufficient cause to The budget is lower than two options _ g0 to war. ________ Surprise! The city has to deal with the additional tax for RIM Park and the costs of the inquiry into its financing. _ It‘s deception of a kind, but next to being shot at and missed, nothing is as appealing as having council pick the cheapest option on taxes that will have to be paid some day. Duel in Duets: Mr. Justice Ron Sills has the big issue in the RIM Park financing probe in front of him now, and | / the recall of witnesses will fatâ€" ten the court dossier and not K@M\AI do much else * The issue is how and when Waterloo learned the interest rate wouldn‘t be about five per cent, but would be in the neighbourhood of nine. There are side issues, of course, but none of them that have the same usâ€"andâ€"them appeal. Still, don‘t think that it will be no trick to identify the witnesses who tippyâ€"toed around the truth. There was so much said, in D person and by corresponâ€" lâ€"" dence, that we may get the verdict attached to a Christmas card. Counting the Proof: I have the greatâ€" est respect for Colin Powell, and not just because I met him in New York before he hit the bigâ€"time. (But you don‘t want to hear the story again.) In playing prosecutor at the UN hearâ€" ing, he made the most of what he had in showing that Saddam Hussein has been playing hideâ€"andâ€"seek with the arms inspectors. Unfortunately, he didn‘t have graphic proof of the kind Adlai Stevenson had when he confronted the Soviet about the missiles in Cuba. Yule have to wait for the verdict SANDY George Dubyah has waxed poetic on it. He made it sound as if the United States has a tremendous rendezâ€"vous with histoâ€" ry. To some, it sounded as if he was talking about a blind date with fate. Borrowed Words: George Bush, the oneâ€"time Yale cheerleader, has had his work cut out for him lately. In addition to whooping it up for war, he had to bid farewell to the seven astronauts who plunged to immortality. It is quite a chore to pay tribute to the dead without descending to the mawkish and to wallowing in the gore and grief. The tribute has to be NURA | paid with dignity. U We have heard Bush often, RD but in the astronaut tribute he did well. And the speech writer could feel thatâ€"for onceâ€"he did the wordsâ€"forâ€"hire proud. touring the hustings passing out cheques That could mean an election is nigh. One selfâ€"styled insider predicts there‘ll be a budget late in March with the election on June 8. Bush should watch his language. He uses so much of it and so often. and Dalt McGuinity has been touring and taping commercials. Howard Hampton? I suppose he‘s been around. Right now, the candidates are trying to decide whether they were born in a log cabin or in a manger. The astronauts had an amazing array of talents, and, astronaut discipline aside, they had foibles that made them surprisingly human. That, too, emerged in the tribâ€" To give him his due, George did a good job with the splenâ€" didlyâ€"crafted words of his speech writer. Aboye all, he reflected reality. ute.