Updated February 24, 2023 | 09:18AM MST
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BEN SHAW - VETERAN TATTOO ARTIST RESPONDS TO NEW FEDERAL LAW -MOCRA
BEN SHAW - VETERAN TATTOO ARTIST RESPONDS TO NEW FEDERAL LAW -MOCRA
Pictured Above: Ben Shaw, Owner of Archetype Tattoo
Albuquerque, New Mexico – The US federal government has passed a law that will affect the future of tattooing. The MoCRA, (Modernization of Cosmetic Regulation Act) was signed December 29, 2022. This is the FDA’ largest overhaul since 1938 and will effectively categorize tattoo inks, ointments, salves, solutions, and virtually anything that touches the human body as a cosmetic.
These products will be heavily scrutinized with increased oversight on their manufacturing processes and ingredients beginning this year. The pending regulatory law increase has the potential to drastically change the ingredients the industry has access to, the quantities, as well as the consumer price and are being rigorously tested against scientific data that is not valid for the tattoo industry to use.
The domino effect has and not clearly identified.
In response to a call for the tattoo industry to build constructive relationships with their state, and federal government agencies, Ben Shaw, a veteran 23-year veteran tattoo artist, began working to unify the tattoo industry across the United States.
Ben has over a decade of experience within state regulation and has lobbied the New Mexico Senate and House of Representatives In 2015, Ben spearheaded a regulatory board that has helped improve body art regulation in the state of New Mexico.
In January of 2023, Ben formed an industry initiative, “The Body Art Regulation Support System”. This initiative opens up communication between tattoo artists, product manufacturers, and sympathetic regulatory agencies and increases its practitioners’ ability to voice and share their opinion, experiences, and data.
Ben says, “Tattooing is a billion-dollar industry and thousands of people are being tattooed daily. To many, regulation is inevitable and necessary. It is important that artists come together to help inform the regulators and open up communication in a constructive manner. Artists, manufacturers and leading experts can work with regulatory bodies to help minimize the potential for harmful counterfeit products from unregulated countries to circulate in the United States”.
Ben encourages artists to join his Discord group to be a part of the conversation. Information, upcoming events, and resources for body art practitioners, shops & studios are available at www.safe-tattoos.com or www.benshawarchetype.com.
Interested in learning more or contributing to research? Call (505)553-6226
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