The Safe Body Art Act to protect Nova Scotians who want to get a tattoo, piercing or other type of body art from diseases passed all three reading in the provincial legislature last fall and received royal assent on Dec. 15, 2011 to become law.

The law requires those who provide body art services to meet standards for infection control and disease transmission.

Doctors Nova Scotia reviewed the legislation and gave its support before it was introduced in the legislature.

The association's position is that body art, a form of self-expression, comes in many forms but all carry potential health risks if they aren’t done in a safe environment, with proper protocols in place.