10- Dayanara M - Get Rid of Ugly Tattoo Laws

Every teen is different and some are more mature than others. In many cases, the parent or guardian of the teen is the one who can most determine the maturity of their teenager. That's why I think that parents and guardians, not the government, should be the one's who decide if a teen can get a tattoo or piercing. In California, it is completely illegal to get a tattoo if you are under 18. This is dangerous because it can lead to determined kids getting tattooed in unsafe or unsanitary conditions. It also wont stop all minors from getting a tattoo because Nevada, our neighboring state, allowed minors to get a tattoo with a parent or guardian present. It is a lot safer for our law to be changed, allowing parents or guardians to be the deciding factor. Our piercing law in California is more lenient though because it allows teens to get a piercing with parental consent. The tattoo laws in California should be similar to the piercing law. Both are permanent body alterations, and the legal guardian should be the one to decide if it is something suitable for their teen or not. The only difference I notice is the stigma towards tattoos. In that case, it should be up to the parent or guardian of the teen to choose which morals they decide to enforce on their teen. Tattoos and piercing both also have a high risk of infections if done unsafely. To look out for it's citizens, California laws should change to protect teens from dangerous tattoos and piercings. Word Count= 263