Webster BOH bans pot paraphernalia; updates body art regulations

Lowers age for tattoos to 14

WEBSTER -  The Board of Health amended tobacco regulations this week, banning all paraphernalia and merchandise oriented towards users of marijuana and other illegal drugs, including, but not limited to the following: blunt wrappers, rosebud glass tubes or other non-traditional tobacco smoking apparatus.

The board held a public hearing on the subject Monday, April 2. Health Agent Cathleen Liberty said that while there had been no complaints from citizens, the board wanted to take those items out of the town of Webster. “It's clear that they can be used for illegal substances,” she said.

There are at least two smoke shops in town which sell the banned items, but notification of the new regulations will be sent to all stores that sell tobacco products, including convenience stores.

The board also removed a contradiction in the town's tobacco regulations by deleting a section which prohibited the sale or distribution of tobacco products, e-cigarettes, or nicotine delivery products from a vending machine. These products can be sold in vending machines, with a permit.

Body art practitioners were also on the health board's radar. New regulations require that, in addition to  having the proper documentation to be a body art practitioner, tattooists will be required to have “1800 hours of apprenticeship under the direct supervision of a licensed body art tattooist.”

Health Agent Liberty said under the old regulations a tattooist didn't need any experience to practice the art. They could take a course, obtain the proper documentation, and start work. The board took the   step as a public safety measure, as improper procedures can cause infection and disease.

“A lot goes into this,” said Ms. Liberty. “Tattooing is a complicated process. The two body art shops we have here in town are very knowledgeable; they are not opposed to this.”

In conjunction with the new rule, the board instituted a $100 fee for the body art apprenticeship, every two years.

The board made a third change in the body art regulations, this to allow “fourteen to eighteen (14 to18) year olds to receive tattoos with a signed consent and also accompanied by an adult or legal guardian.

The old regulations required a person to be 18.

This loosening of the age requirement is also intended as a public safety measure. “We are trying to eliminate infection and disease caused by illegal tattooing, said Ms. Liberty. “There's a lot of tattooing going on in kitchens, and the board felt that the 14- to-18 year-old group was most likely to be involved in illegal tattoos.”

Recognizing the realities of what kids do, the board felt that lowering the age limit and requiring parental consent would make this group safer from a public health perspective.