TATTOO SHOP WANTS TO BAN THE BONG

A Pensacola tattoo shop owner wants Escambia County to ban the sale
of drug paraphernalia, arguing that it is hurting his industry's image.

Mike McClung has asked the County Commission to enact an ordinance
prohibiting the sale of pipes and other possible drug paraphernalia
that McClung believes are becoming part of the inventory at more
local tattoo parlors.

In October, Pinellas County passed an ordinance that made it more
difficult to sell items that a person reasonably could assume would
be used for drugs.

"I think it needs to be addressed," said McClung, 34, owner of Three
Saints Tattoo. "I think it needs to be banned."

He complained that a new tattoo shop that stocks pipes and other
potential drug paraphernalia opened within two blocks of Holm
Elementary, where his daughter attended school.

"Even if it wasn't a tattoo shop, I would totally have a problem with
it," said the father of two. "It's not hurting my business. However,
it's hurting the morality of my business."

The sale of pipes and rolling papers and other items that could be
used for tobacco are not illegal.

"The device, in and of itself, is not illegal," said Sgt. Mike Ward
with the Escambia County Sheriff's Office. "It becomes illegal when
an illegal substance is found in it."

It more often than not is used for illegal purposes, Ward said.

"A majority of the time, if there's a bong, there's marijuana," he said.

The county could consider zoning ordinances to regulate the proximity
to schools or restrictions on minors entering stores where the items
are sold, but an outright ban might be difficult, said Alison Rogers,
Escambia's deputy county attorney.

Most counties rely on state law to regulate when an item is
considered paraphernalia, Rogers said.

Burton Ritchie's shop, The Psychedelic Shack, sells what he calls
"tobacco accessories" and offers tattoos. He said it's getting
tougher for tattoo businesses that don't offer other products,
because competition is increasing.

"It was easier for a tattoo artist to make a living 10 years ago,"
Ritchie said. "Now a good artist is going to be hard-pressed to make
a good living."

The sale of potential drug paraphernalia out of tattoo shops hurts
their image, other owners say. That's after it has taken so long to
make getting a tattoo more mainstream.

"We're an art co-op," said Gabe Smith, 36, owner of Hula Moon Tattoo
in Pensacola. "Most of the group who works here went to college, went
to art school.

"It really is a negative thing. It cheapens what we do."