Drug Deaths in North America

May 5, 2026, 19:40
CanadaHealth

Introduction

Fewer people are dying from drugs in Canada and the USA. However, some cities still have more deaths.

Main Body

Many people die in cities like Edmonton and Thunder Bay. Denver in the USA also has a big problem. More people are dying there now. New drugs are very dangerous. Some drugs mix opioids with other chemicals. These drugs make the medicine 'naloxone' stop working. Some drugs are also very strong. Different cities have different rules. Alberta closed some clinics that help drug users. Vancouver moved a clinic to a new place to keep people safe.

Conclusion

Stronger drugs and fewer clinics make the problem worse in some cities.

Learning

⚡ The 'Comparative' Jump

To get to A2, you need to show difference. Look at how the text compares things:

  • Fewer people →\rightarrow (Less amount)
  • More deaths →\rightarrow (Higher amount)
  • Stronger drugs →\rightarrow (More power)

How it works: When we compare two things, we often add -er to the end of a short word.

Strong →\rightarrow Stronger

Real-world examples from the text:

  1. "Fewer people are dying" (Comparing now to the past).
  2. "Stronger drugs... make the problem worse" (Comparing new drugs to old drugs).

🧩 Word Pairs

Notice these opposite pairs used in the article to describe a situation:

  • Closed ↔\leftrightarrow Moved (One stops a service, one changes its place)
  • Fewer ↔\leftrightarrow More (Down ↔\leftrightarrow Up)

Vocabulary Learning

people (n.)
a group of individuals
Example:Many people die in cities.
die (v.)
to stop living
Example:People die from drugs.
city (n.)
an urban area
Example:Cities like Edmonton have more deaths.
drug (n.)
a substance that can cause harm
Example:New drugs are very dangerous.
dangerous (adj.)
likely to cause harm
Example:New drugs are very dangerous.
mix (v.)
to combine together
Example:Some drugs mix opioids with chemicals.
opioid (n.)
a type of drug that can be addictive
Example:Some drugs mix opioids with chemicals.
chemical (n.)
a substance used in a mixture
Example:Other chemicals are mixed.
medicine (n.)
a substance used to treat illness
Example:Medicine naloxone stops working.
stop (v.)
to end or halt something
Example:Naloxone stops working.
strong (adj.)
having great power or force
Example:Some drugs are very strong.
rule (n.)
a regulation or guideline
Example:Different cities have different rules.
close (v.)
to shut or shut down
Example:Alberta closed some clinics.
clinic (n.)
a place where medical care is given
Example:Vancouver moved a clinic to a new place.
move (v.)
to relocate or change position
Example:Vancouver moved a clinic to a new place.
place (n.)
a location or site
Example:Moved a clinic to a new place.
keep (v.)
to maintain or preserve
Example:To keep people safe.
safe (adj.)
free from danger or harm
Example:People are kept safe.
worse (adj.)
more bad or harmful
Example:Makes the problem worse.
Canada (n.)
a country in North America
Example:Fewer people are dying in Canada.
USA (n.)
United States of America, a country in North America
Example:People die in the USA.