New law eliminates deferral for new tattoos and body piercings BACKGROUND: Blood transfused in Michigan comes from volunteer donors,                          who want to share the gift of life. Great Lakes Region Blood Services Board Chair Regina Bell, Michigan State Relations Liaison Bill Lukens, Michigan State Senator John Gleason, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Mid-Michigan Chapter Executive John Cauley, Great Lakes Region Chief Executive Officer Sharon Jaksa at the signing ceremony for the Tattoo bill. The federal government sets rules for blood donor eligibility – and temporarily defers donors for many reasons. In Michigan, people who have gotten tattoos - or have had their bodies pierced - are currently deferred for a year. The deferral is because tattoo shops have no required health standards, and customers may be put at risk to develop infections such as hepatitis. 1) On December 13 Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed legislation that will require body art shops to meet safety standards in 2009. 2) Blood donors receiving new tattoos or body piercings in state-licensed facilities will be eligible to donate blood right away, rather than having to wait a year under current FDA rules. 3) Here in Michigan: a. Fewer than 5% of eligible donors give blood, yet almost 70% of all people will     need blood in their lifetimes. b. Some high school and college drives report that about half of donors have new     tattoos or body piercings. c. Up to now, these donors currently cannot donate blood for a year; with the new     law, these donors will be able to give immediately beginning in 2009. d. We estimate that the number of donors deferred by tattoos may be as high     as 5,000 annually. e. People can donate whole blood up to 6 times-a-year -- the amount of blood we     can potentially collect because of the new state law could be as high as     30,000 units. 4) American Red Cross Blood Services thanks the governor, state house and senate for enacting this important new legislation. PDF