Piercing tongues, lips or cheeks has been a growing fad for young people, but new state legislation is underway to ensure that minors are not only trendy but informed.

Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, has proposed a bill aimed at educating parents and minors who want to pierce their tongue, lip, cheek or any other part of the oral cavity.

The Senate unanimously passed the bill Wednesday and the House of Representatives is expected to vote on it within a few weeks, Bomke said.

Illinois law already requires that parents be present and sign a waiver before a minor can get any part of the body pierced; however, the new legislation would add a clause to waivers requiring parents to sign under the statement, “I understand that the oral piercing of the tongue, lips, cheeks or any other area of the oral cavity carries a serious risk of infection or damage to mouth, teeth or both infection and damage to those areas. That could result in, but is not limited to, nerve damage, numbness and life threatening blood clots.”

Bomke described the clause as a “warning label” for parents and minors who may be unaware of the negative health effects of piercing the oral cavity.

Dave Marsh, director of government relations for the Illinois Dental Association, said the IDA prompted the bill “to make the consumer aware of what could happen to people who get this done.”

Oral piercing can cause swelling, blood clots, cracked teeth, swallowed jewelry parts or hemorrhaging, nerve damage or numbness, an IDA press release said. Speech impediments and a damaged sense of taste are other possible side effects.

“Whether people want to do it or not is their choice, but if they know of the risks they may think twice about it,” Marsh said.

Chad Henderson, owner of Skin Tease in Charleston, said to pierce a minor, he demands the parents be present and show a valid drivers license. Parents must also sign a waiver saying they will not sue him for any reason.

Henderson said he supports the new clause and thinks it may protect him from parents and children who might be unsatisfied with their piercing. However, he has never had any complaints from parents before.

Before Henderson pierces anyone, he said he carefully looks for the veins in the tongue and takes proper precautions depending on the size an position of the veins to prevent uncontrollable bleeding. Anyone who gets pierced receives instructions on how to care for an oral piercing with everything from how to clean the piercing to not chipping teeth with it.

The owner of Ink Spot Tattooing in Charleston, Kenny Alexander, said the legislation will not affect him because his business has refused to pierce minors for almost two years.

“I think you should be an adult to be pierced, period, no matter what the law says,” he said.

Alexander said he would rather not deal with parents who may get upset because of infections or other complications and his integrity stands in the way of piercing minors.

Bomke said he hopes the bill will reduce number of health problems related to oral piercing by making parents and minors more aware of what complications can arise.