Social isolation should be a public health priority

Loneliness poses health risks and is a drain on the public purse. Communities are finding ways to connect people, but government must act tooThe headlines are familiar to many of us: “Loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day”; it’s as bad for you as long-term illness.US research shows that older people who are socially isolated have poorer health trajectories and the risk of death is 31% higher than for those who are not isolated, according to the Ame