Bloomberg News
@Bloomberg-News·2.8M subscribers·40.1K videos
EU Bans Ink Used in Colored Tattoos Over Health Concerns
Posted
January 5, 2022
Views
1,000
Likes
11
Comments
4
Engagement
1.50%
January 5, 2022
1,000
11
4
1.50%
Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
2:07Now PlayingTattoos parlors say their art will lose a lot of its vibrancy after European Union rules banning thousands of chemicals in their coloring ink kick in on Wednesday.
The 27-nation bloc claims that people's health will be much better protected with restrictions on allergenic and potentially cancer-causing elements.
But in the stand-off between regulation and freedom of artistic expression, accusations and complaints are flying.
Tattoo shops in the 27-nation bloc have had a rough two years since COVID-19 hit, with restrictions and lockdowns. Now they say a perfectly avoidable crisis is hitting them further.
"It was not news that we welcomed. It is going to be complicated for us as we can no longer use the ink that we have, allegedly, so we will have to buy everything new, and a bottle cost double the ones we have today," said Angelo Bedani, Boucherie Moderne tattoo parlor owner in Brussels.
The consultation process started in 2016, while the official regulation to bring in the new measures comes into effect on Wednesday.
The EU Commission says alternatives do exist for the banned products but tattoo parlors say it's too slow to trickle down from the manufacturers to their shops.
"Yes, it has been announced (ahead of time) but we had nothing to prepare. The new inks have just been available from last week, so it may be all right but we do not know how to deal with it now," said Bedani.
"They forbid us to do something without offering a solution, or it will take time before it is implemented. It is always the same," he complained.
Seven EU nations already have national restrictions.
Considering that at least 12% of Europeans have tattoos, and double that number in the 18-35 age group, according to EU figures, strict health guidelines appear necessary.
The EU's chemical agency, ECHA, says that allergic and inflammatory skin reactions "are expected to decrease thanks to the restriction."
It adds that "more serious effects, such as cancer, harm to our DNA or the reproductive system potentially originating from chemicals used in the inks could also decrease."
Subscribe to our YouTube channel
Subscribe to our newest channel Quicktake Explained
Bloomberg Quicktake brings you live global news and original shows spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.
To watch complete coverage on Bloomberg Quicktake 24/7, visit or watch on Apple TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Fire TV and Android TV on the Bloomberg app.
Have a story to tell? Fill out this survey for a chance to have it featured on Bloomberg Quicktake
Connect with us on…
Breaking News on YouTube
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.
