SA business analyst Justin Brice, 35, shows off his Japanese-inspired sleeve tattoo. Picture: Mark Brake Source: The Advertiser

The Professional Tattooing Association of Australia says changes to legislation proposed by Attorney-General John Rau will be harmful to consumers by providing police "special powers" that they say appear to target the industry for its supposed links to bikies.

The proposed changes require traders to keep proof of age records and hand them over to police on request.

Other changes include increasing the penalty for tattooing a minor to $5000 or one year's jail and bans any body modification being performed on a drunk person.

Association and piercing industry spokeswoman Morag Draper said while some components of the legislation were welcomed, others were seen as a step back in good business practice, moral responsibility to clients and the protection of their personal information.

"The Health Department have total power to retrieve client data and investigate with or without police attendance if need be, so we don't understand why the State Government deems this component of the legislation necessary.

"What Mr Rau is really saying is 'I don't like tattoos, I don't like people who do tattoos, bikies do tattoos and have tattoos' - this is another way I can target them. Bikies own all types of businesses but with the new wave of tattoo artist coming up the ranks, they are most certainly becoming the minority in the tattoo industry."

Mrs Draper said the industry was always willing to work with the Government and SA Health to ensure consumers' health was protected, but these proposed changes failed to address that.

Mr Rau said the proposed changes were important to allow the government to regulate the industry so consumers, regardless of age, were made aware of potential risks and given time to consider them.

A spokesman for Mr Rau said there was no hidden agenda to target bikies.

"The Bill's primary aim is to protect the safety and well-being of young people," he said.

"Before he was Attorney-General, Mr Rau chaired the cross-party Select Committee on the Tattooing and Body Piercing Industries, which made a range of recommendations. T

"he draft legislation builds on the committee's work and embraces a range of the committee's concerns, including those about protecting minors."