Teen center announces essay contest winners

The Sandpoint Teen Center recently announced the winners of its essay contest on the topic of “arguments for and against getting a tattoo.”

The winner of the $100 first prize was 16-year-old Mackenzi Camacho with her entry of “Why Not to Get a Tattoo.” Second prize of $50 went to 13-year-old Maddie Smith, whose entry was entitled, “Think Before You Ink.”

Earning $20 prizes of honorable mention were Amanda Berntsen, Ellen Clark, Maci Crossingham, Bailey Knapp, and Garret Payne.

Below are the top two essays:

n “Why Not to Get a Tattoo.” (Mackenzi Camacho)

The practice of tattooing has been around for thousands of years. These days, 21 percent of adults in the United States report having at least one piece of permanent artwork on their bodies.

Many people who receive these lasting tributes – to loved ones, to pop culture, to religion, or to whatever they’re into – generally know what to look for when selecting a reputable tattoo parlor. Does the artist wear gloves? Does the tattoo shop sterilize their equipment? Did the artist open a sterile needle in front of you?

If the artist can pass this mental checklist, most people feel pretty safe. One question few people may consider, however, is “What exactly went into that ink you’re about to inject into my skin?” Concentrated tattoo inks may be made from products that were never intended to be used for tattoos. Tattoo ink manufacturers may use products such as calligraphy ink, drawing ink, or even printer ink to make the products eventually used for tattooing.

While the thought of sharing ink with your office printer might be unsettling all on its own, a key ingredient of concern is the water that is used to either create the tattoo ink product or to dilute the product in the tattoo parlor. Artists will often use water to dilute concentrated inks in order to get the specific shade the client requests.

Some tattoo artists and tattoo ink manufacturers may believe that using distilled or reverse osmosis (a filtration method that removes large particles) water is sufficient to safely create or dilute tattoo ink products, but this is not the case. Any kind of non­sterile water can contaminate the ink with potentially harmful germs, which can lead to infections in those tattooed with the ink.

In January 2012, the Monroe County Department of Public Health received a report from a dermatologist that a patient had developed a persistent rash on his arm after being tattooed by a local tattoo artist. Biopsy and culture confirmed that he was suffering from an NTM infection, and the tattoo artist reported that other clients had complained of similar reactions.

The artist noted that the rash seemed to follow the lines created by a pre­diluted gray ink and wasn’t present on areas of the tattoo that were created with other colors. This was an important observation because NTM infections typically don’t spread—the rash­like infection is usually localized to the area that was exposed.

Using a list of all of the clients the artist could remember tattooing with the same gray wash, the health department was able to identify 18 additional infections, 14 of which were confirmed to be NTM infections.

After being notified of the situation in New York, CDC issued a public health alert to try to identify additional tattoo­associated NTM skin infections.

And now here are a few words on tattoos from my teachers think about tattoos…

Mr, Randles — “For me, a tattoo in high school would have been a bad idea. Why? Because high school kids are still developing both physically and mentally. Because of that, especially the mental aspect of it, taste/values/opinions are very much subject to change as people mature. These sorts of these tend to settle once a person reaches their mid- to late 20s. As far as tattoos in themselves go, I would regard them the same way I would regard pretty much any art form (painting, song, poem) some are cool and some are atrocious. The upside with the other art forms, though, is that if I buy a painting and later decide that I don’t like it, I can sell it. Much more difficult to get rid of a tattoo.”

Mr, Clause — “No, no, no”

Mr Brownell — “I told my son not to get a tattoo. I didn’t want him to have something so permanent that he would later regret having. High School aged students still think a little to immaturely to do something so permanent. Now my son is 23 years old and he has tattoos, but he waited until he was older.”

n “Think Before You Ink” (Maddie Smith)

Tattoos are becoming a popular trend that is seen everywhere. Today’s teens are getting permanent tattoos to be cool and trendy, but are not considering the long-term effects. Teenagers should think of all that body modification may include, it is not just a pretty picture. They must consider the dangers and result of getting diseases and having a permanent mark on their body.

The unsanitary conditions of getting a tattoo tend to go unnoticed by teenagers. The increase popularity in tattoos has also caused an increase in the incidences of hepatitis, especially Hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is spread by human blood mixing. Since, the government regulation has not enforced hygiene requirements for tattoo parlors, disease such as Hepatitis C are in these environments. Another disease that can be acquired is HIV. The government does not force tattoo parlors to use new needles or to sanitize the old ones. Also, tattoos can get infected and leave a scar if not properly taken care of.

Sometimes, people die from ink poisoning if too much ink gets into their bloodstream. I haven’t even told you how painful it is to get a tattoo and how painful it will be to get one of these diseases. Teens do not think of the dangers of a tattoo until it is too late. Another problem with getting a tattoo is being underage. Teens have to persuade their parents that a tattoo is a good idea and they really want one. Also certain tattoos can also give you a bad reputation. Such as, having a skull can make adults think that you are a bad kid and won’t let their kids hang out with you.

There are many drawbacks to getting a tattoo and I have only addressed a couple. So this is why I think you shouldn’t get a tattoo. Think about all the possibilities before you get a tattoo. They are permanent.