Due to a recent revision to an Illinois law, the Northbrook Police will no longer report drinking tickets received by Glenbrook North students to the school.

This doesn’t change anything.

Students who drink will continue to drink. The threat of a drinking ticket being reported to the school was not a deterrent before, and it isn’t now. In past school years, students were suspended from school, kicked off teams and removed from clubs, even after promising coaches and teammates not to drink and otherwise being aware of the rules and consequences involved.

Peer pressure, stress relief and other reasons cause students to drink. Very seldom has an involved discussion of state or school policy gotten in the way. So what has changed?

The law revision is a tweak. Nothing more. The rules are still in place. Drinking is not allowed for students at GBN or anywhere. The only difference now is that it’s harder for the school to find out. But even when it doesn’t find out, does that mean there are no tickets being written for students? Hardly. The law didn’t change that.

Some will say this will encourage more students to drink. But it’s unlikely that those who weren’t originally going to drink will suddenly decide to now because there’s a lesser chance of the school finding out.

There are plenty students at GBN who don’t drink. They generally don’t voice it, and you won’t find them standing on chairs, preaching and lecturing in the cafeteria, but they have reasons. Some might not like how it makes them feel. Others might not like the loss of control. And some just don’t believe in breaking the law. But just like those who do drink, it doesn’t have to do with what they’ve been told.

When it comes down do it, drinking is a personal decision. There are no police, teachers, parents, coaches or Illinois lawmakers standing around at parties. The code of conduct isn’t printed on beer cans. Teenagers have been drinking since before our parents went to high school, and they will continue to drink when our kids grow up.

This is not about breaking the rules. It’s about having decent judgement. It’s about good decision making. It’s about the type of person you want to be and people whom you represent.

The law revision doesn’t change that.