New Ordinance to Tighten Rules on Massage Therapy
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Massage therapy soon will cease to be treated as an “adult business” here, but practitioners will have to prove they know their stuff under a new ordinance tentatively approved this week.
The City Council, following a regional trend, unanimously endorsed a local law requiring masseurs and masseuses to show they are adequately trained and have passed a national exam.
To qualify for a business permit under the new law, therapists must have 500 hours of instruction or a combination of practical experience and classes.
Police said the ordinance will make it easier to close massage establishments that serve as covers for prostitution and organized crime.
While discussing the problem, police and council members were careful to emphasize that not all massage parlors are involved in crime.
“I myself have a therapeutic massage once a week and I think it relieves the stress of council meetings,” Councilman Dan Slater said.
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