Lawmakers want to ban eyeball tattoos

A new form of body art has Oklahoma lawmakers working to ban the practice before it moves to the state. It's called eyeball tattooing. Even tattoo shops across the metro don't know what would propel someone to do something like this, but they say it's unneeded legislation. Lawmakers argue that it's a public health issue.

Tattooing, it's a form of body art that's been around for centuries. But it's only been legal in Oklahoma for a couple years. It could soon be illegal for people to tattoo the white part of the eye known as the sclera.

Senate Republican Whip Cliff Branan said, "Kind of a counter culture trend, the same folks may chose to pierce certain body parts, it's kind of the next level up."



Senate Bill 844 has unanimously passed through the Health and Human Services Committee. Oklahoma City Senator Cliff Branan says it was brought to him by the Oklahoma Academy of Opthamology. He says it's becoming more trendy to tattoo eye liner or eye brows, but this goes too far. "It is completely patently disgusting and crazy to do it. We as a good public health policy we felt it was important to stop that trend before it goes any farther here in the state of Oklahoma," Sen. Branan described.

Doctors say there's a high risk for blindness. Though the practice is still being seen on the east and west coast, it hasn't moved to the Midwest just yet.

Jason King, the Owner of Atomic Lotus Tattoo in Oklahoma City said, "The number of people with actual eyeball tattoos in the United States you can probably count on one hand, so it's not a common practice." He says passing this bill is a waste of time.

With news video.