EDITOR'S COMMENT—MARCH 2003
A few years ago, March 1999 to be exact, we featured "The Great Supplier Debate," a face-to-face about Skin & Ink's philosophy of not publishing tattoo-supplier ads. Since then, we received many Letters to the Editor and some heated arguments about a vendor's right to sell their products. Some sided with us. Some were downright angry. Others said we should take a hike and didn't care whether we published their ads or not.
Fine and good, but the issue still remains, and nothing much got resolved except perhaps the fact that we have stuck by our guns by not running ads that potentially create sales of machines, inks, tubes, needles and the like to minors and untrained end users. We do allow ads promoting more benign supplies like flash and, of course, autoclaves, but no equipment.
Rather than go over old ground, suffice it to say, we do not want to restrict trade or stifle anyone's right to make a living, we simply want suppliers to adhere to a few basic and, we feel, logical guidelines in the quest to control transmittable diseases, prevent against permanently damaged skin tissue and, otherwise, limit tattooing by scratchers who haven't received adequate guidance in tattoo technique and the sterile chain of events.
In an effort to develop some simple guidelines, I attempted to write a Ten Commandments for Suppliers. A list of thou shalt nots, if you will. I could only come up with three.
So, I turn to you readers. What requirements would suppliers have to meet in order for us to accept them as advertisers? Not selling to anyone under 18 years of age, adhering to ethical advertising practices and banning starter kits that do not include an autoclave are my three.
What are yours?