US surgeon general warns of next public health priority: loneliness

Vivek Murthy urged public officials to treat isolation with the same urgency as substance abuse or tobacco

There's an ailment linked to increased heart attacks, depression, diabetes, crime and premature death in the US, and it's impacting people no matter where they live or who they are: loneliness.

US surgeon general Vivek Murthy released an advisory on loneliness and isolation on Tuesday and urged people and public officials to treat the matter with the same urgency as other serious conditions such as obesity or drug abuse as it continues to surge, affecting approximately half of the people living in the US.