It's not just the headline, the point is made in the VERY FIRST sentences of the article:
A FORMER British MI6 chief has joined growing calls to end the war on drugs and consider legalising them. The battle has left tens of thousands dead in Latin America but failed to reduce drug-use around the world.
Again, the mere fact that outlawed activity does not go away is NOT in and of itself a logical argument for getting rid of the law.
You bolded the wrong part, here’s what you SHOULD have bolded:
The battle has left tens of thousands dead
THAT’S the failure of the WOD, it kills more people than the drugs, and then on top of that has also failed to reduce drug use. But the important part is the THOUSANDS DEAD. That’s what makes the WOD, and all its supporters, evil.