This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Intimate body piercing for children has been banned in Wales amid fears it can lead to health issues and make young people vulnerable to abuse.

Under the law, which came into force on Thursday, practitioners are not allowed to carry out or arrange intimate piercings including to the tongue and breasts on anyone under 18. Ears, noses, navels and eyebrows are not covered by the ban.

Wales is the first UK country to introduce such a law and those breaking it face prosecution and an unlimited fine. Local authorities are the primary enforcement bodies but police may also be involved.

The Labour-controlled government said that as well as posing a potential health risk, intimate piercing could place young people in a vulnerable position.

It argued that because children continued to grow during their teenage years, an intimate piercing performed at a young age could result in complications as their bodies developed. Young people might also be less likely to have the experience or knowledge of how to clean or maintain an intimate piercing, leading to an increased risk of infection, it said.

During a visit to Frontier tattoo parlour in Cardiff to discuss the law, the chief medical officer for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton, said it was about protecting young people’s health and wellbeing.

“It’s concerning that a third of young people with intimate piercings have reported complications following a procedure. The child protection issues that could also arise from this scenario highlight even further the importance of implementing such a law,” he said.

“I hope this piece of legislation will help to reduce these issues, and that practitioners understand the importance of obtaining proof of age beforehand.”

One risk of the ban is that intimate piercing could be driven underground and carried out in people’s homes rather than licensed premises. But health officials insisted it was a positive move.

At Frontier, customers are charged £20 for a nose piercing, £25 for a nipple (or £40 for two) and £50 for a female genital piercing.

The chief dental officer for Wales, Dr Colette Bridgman, raised concerns about tongue piercing. “It can lead to lasting damage to teeth and gums, and can cause serious swelling in the mouth that can affect breathing. Many dentists in Wales have seen patients who have permanent harm following piercing, and dental teams in Wales really welcome this new law.”

Police officers and council officials have been trained in how to enforce the law and piercing practitioners have been advised to set up systems to help confirm proof of age, and to obtain signed consent.

As well as the tongue and breasts, the ban, under the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017, includes eight areas around the genitals and buttocks.

The Welsh government flagged up a study that found complications were reported in more than a quarter of body piercings for individuals aged 16-24. It revealed a higher incidence of complications in connection with certain types of piercings, including intimate ones. Problems were most likely to be reported in tongue piercings (50%), followed by genitals (45%) and nipples (38%).

Some local authorities in London and Scotland have imposed restrictions on intimate piercings but the Welsh government is the first to impose a nationwide ban.

Despite criticism from the UK government over its record on health, which is devolved, the Welsh Labour government has introduced some eye-catching health measures such as bringing in a “deemed consent” organ transplant system.