SALEM — Laws that might be a holdover from the days of shady massage parlors are irking some people in Salem, who think they shouldn’t apply to today’s massage therapists.
Rep. Ron Belanger, R-Salem, said a massage therapist brought it to his attention that the town code requires them to prove they have no communicable disease by having a yearly physical. They also must keep a register of who their patrons are and when they visit.
“I think that’s appalling,” he said.
Belanger, a former selectman, said he had contacted the Board of Selectmen about the possibility of changing the ordinance. He said it was unfair for the Health Department to single out massage therapists, when other people it licenses do not need to provide proof they’ve been examined.
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“You know, concerns with the massage parlors,” Lockard said. “We don’t call them massage parlors anymore.”