HUNTINGTON BEACH : Protests Spur Delay in Massage Law

City officials have delayed approving an ordinance to stamp out suspected prostitution at massage establishments after protests by a large contingent of massage therapists this week.

The massage therapists, touting their training and professionalism, charged that the proposed ordinance would have allowed only doctors, physical therapists and acupuncturists to perform therapeutic massage.

If enacted, the law would have driven the 300 or more massage therapists out of their jobs in the city, according to a representative of the American Massage Therapy Assn.

“In light of the current popularity and acceptance of ethical, professional massage nationwide, the potential to wipe out an entire profession in a large city in order to control illicit goings-on seems a most unenlightened way to go about it,” said Mark Dixon, a leader of the massage therapists.

Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg on Wednesday said it was “absolutely not” the intention to exclude massage therapists from working in the city, although the ordinance’s wording may have indicated so.

Lowenberg said he will meet with Dixon and other leaders of the therapists to get their help in improving the ordinance.

In a report to city officials, Lowenberg said that the current city ordinance has been “relatively ineffective” and that massage technicians with no training are being licensed.

Many of these untrained people have obtained licenses and engage in prostitution, using massage parlors as a front, he said.

Dixon said the city’s current ordinance is “substandard and antiquated” in that it requires only 100 hours of training and actually encourages unsavory activities because of the supposedly minimum requirements.

“No city in California requires less education” than Huntington Beach, he said. “Costa Mesa requires 200 hours, Newport Beach 300 hours and Irvine, 500 hours.

He said there has not been a single arrest or shutdown for illicit activities since new regulations went into effect in Irvine six years ago.

Dixon said his group advocates 500 to 1,000 hours of training that can cost up to $7,000.

“People who spend time and money and energy to get the education are interested in one thing, and that is to get high-quality, ethical therapeutic massage to the people who can benefit from it,” he said.