Medicalization vs. criminilization

I really liked how you balance the negative and positive implication of medicalization. Medicalization is such a complex issue, because communities that are subject to it rely on it, but at the same time it brings along stigma and takes away autonomy. So it's nice to see both sides represented here.

Your article is already pretty long so I don't know if there is space, but I think it might be important to place medicalization with respect to criminilization. People in the DTES are heavily criminalized by the VPD, there are cop cars there continually trying to intimidate people. And I wonder if medicalisation of the DTES actively resists this criminal model or if it just exists adjacent to it.

Hi Noah, thanks for your feedback! I definitely think that there is a huge overlap between medicalization and criminalization, especially in the context of the DTES. It goes without saying that both frames are equally important to consider. I think the focus I wanted to draw upon was the specific effects of medicalization, as one of the MANY frames, including criminalization as you mentioned!