OK, you have kids, so have I. What it if your kids weren't perfect paragons of virtue, but were just like mine and everyone else's kids, and screwed up. Same rules apply?
The death penalty is barbaric, and is no deterrent anyway.
And I repeat, nicotine is a known carcinogenic. There is no safe level of usage, and it is highly addictive. So how about hanging cigarette company executives - particularly those that have kept this secret for years. And the government is quite happy to collect the taxes.