> Yet life is better on pretty much every material metric you list. [...] You think Americans dealing with bills need drugs more than subsistence farmers in Bangladesh?
This is irrelevant. When it comes to using drugs, all that matters is the user's own perception of their life. The fact that we have a mental health crisis among young people clearly indicates that, despite any measurable increase to their material quality of life, these young people are increasingly likely to perceive their lot as being dismal. Look at the article and see how many of these kids thought they were taking Xanax, which is an anti-anxiety medication. They weren't even trying to get high, they were seeking something to help them make it through the day. Finding and addressing the cause of this anxiety is, alas, more complicated than just beheading anyone who gets caught popping a pill.
I don’t see the two things as being in conflict. None of the countries I mentioned use the death penalty on drug users. You can address the demand side by figuring out what’s causing these mental health problems. That doesn’t mean you can’t attack the supply by executing drug dealers.
I think a lot of people in the US agree with you, but I think you'd all be surprised to know there are a lot of juvenile drug dealers out there. Sometimes they're indies, others they're low on the totem pole of some gang. You can't solve the problem by killing these kids, also they want to be drug dealers because of the money and prestige, and the (perceived) control they get over their life.
There's also not a lot of evidence in favor of the death penalty as a deterrent. The most likely outcome of this policy is we just start executing hundreds of young men, mostly minorities.
This is irrelevant. When it comes to using drugs, all that matters is the user's own perception of their life. The fact that we have a mental health crisis among young people clearly indicates that, despite any measurable increase to their material quality of life, these young people are increasingly likely to perceive their lot as being dismal. Look at the article and see how many of these kids thought they were taking Xanax, which is an anti-anxiety medication. They weren't even trying to get high, they were seeking something to help them make it through the day. Finding and addressing the cause of this anxiety is, alas, more complicated than just beheading anyone who gets caught popping a pill.