HOUSTON -- A controversial seminar on tattoos was held at the Houston Public Library Thursday afternoon, News2Houston reported.

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Both Sides Speak Out About Tattoo Lecture

Health department officials and a tattoo artist held lectures explaining the pros and cons of body art to teenagers..

"Tattoos are not exactly for everyone. They can cause personal problems. They can also give you a sense of self-security at the same time," said Tiger John, a tattoo artist.

A woman who saw a flier about the tattoo lecture complained to Houston City Council Wednesday.

"I thought that was an inappropriate use of city library facilities. And particularly, it advertised a live tattoo demonstration, which I thought was particularly inappropriate," said Judy Siberson, a concerned parent.

The live demonstration was canceled following the complaint. A health official and an anti-gang task force officer were added to the lecture instead.

While many city officials were against the idea, some teenagers thought it was great.

"I would have liked to see a real person get one because that would pretty much give me a little bit of an example, an idea of how bad it would be. How much it would hurt. How to handle it," said Alice Davidson, a teenager who attended lecture.

"It could teach us the effects of the decisions that we're making. Also, it can tell us if this is a good idea or not. I mean, you're just going to get a tattoo -- it's not that easy to get removed," said Marc Jackson, a teenager who attended the lecture.