The US has the death penalty, they have the death penalty, why would one conclude that the death penalty is what makes the difference? even if a country with a

The US has the death penalty, they have the death penalty, why would one conclude that the death penalty is what makes the difference? even if a country with a harsh penalty for drugs has less drug crime, other confounding factors have to be looked at, like a large potential market for illegal drugs, a large population with no better means of making a living. I would expect that a draconian death penalty may be some deterrent but it may not be the best policy, either.