Last year, the state of New York became the 32nd state in our country to require that young people under age 18 must have written parental consent before obtaining body piercing.
A member of the state legislature said that “body piercing can result in severe health risks and it is our obligation as New Yorkers and parents to make sure that our teens are taking every precaution to remain healthy and safe.” Besides body piercing, parental consent is also needed for those under 18 to get tattoos or visit tanning beds in the state of New York.
It is good for our elected representatives to be concerned about the health of teenagers and to allow parents to be involved in decisions affecting their health.
Ruling on morning-after pill
However, it seems as if the federal government isn’t so concerned about teenagers’ health or parental involvement, especially when it affects the area of sexuality. On June 10, the Justice Department announced that it will allow girls of any age to buy the Plan B one-step morning-after pill without a prescription and without parental consent. This pill can be bought over the counter, and in most pharmacies it will be will be available on shelves near the condoms.
What is happening in our country? Not only are we encouraging irresponsible behavior, we’re also encouraging teens to purchase drugs that they know very little about — and all without their parents’ knowledge or involvement!
