Every morning I scroll through my news feed on Facebook to find out what my family and friends have talked about while I was catching up on my beauty sleep.

The other day, there was a poll of whether or not people agree or disagree with Washington D.C.’s City Council proposed regulation for a 24-hour waiting period before customers can get tattoos.

At first I was caught off guard at the fact that the Council was trying to control citizen’s decision about getting a tattoo.

As I thought more about it, I realized the proposition may seem obscured at first glance, but it could be beneficial.

When I got my first tattoo in 2010, there were many people just walking into the parlor and getting something that he or she saw on the wall. This particular parlor advertised $10 tattoos on different sheets of paper that anyone could get.

Luckily, my tattoo is one that I had pondered on for years and I knew exactly how I wanted it to look. For those that made the spur-of-the-moment decision, the permanent mark left on their body could be one they regret later in life.

As the night carried on, more customers began to show up making that last-minute decision on a piece of art that is permanent. This parlor’s hours worked late into the night so customers that wanted to get a tattoo after the club was over, they could.

More than likely, if a customer is coming to the parlor after leaving from the club, they have probably consumed alcohol. The alcohol thins the blood and causes the area to bleed more than normal.

The regulation could prevent events like this occurring and protect customers at the same time.

The proposed regulation also protects customers from exposure to dangerous diseases. According to The Washington Post, the regulation states that all tattoo artists and body-piercers must have hepatitis B vaccinations and biohazard training.

Strict requirements would be placed on needles, inks and gloves. For those under the age of 18, tattoos, certain ear piercings and piercings would be prohibited.

While some may think this proposed regulation is just another way for the government to control someone’s personal decision or freedom of expression, this could help save someone’s life or stop someone from making a regretful decision.

Hopefully, Wichita will follow in D.C.’s steps and create a similar law.