There's an underreported side effect to the flexibility of remote and hybrid work.

• Daytime drug and drinking habits are rising, Bloomberg’s Arianne Cohen reports.

What's happening: Working from home — away from colleagues and the professional setting of an office — means that, for many workers, drinking and indulging in drugs are no longer after-hours activities.

📊 Stunning stat: 27 million working-age Americans — between 25 and 54 — have substance abuse disorders — a 23% jump compared with the pre-pandemic days, according to a recent study by the Atlanta Fed.

• That's causing many to drop out of the labor force entirely.

🖼️ The big picture: Hybrid work can accelerate a downward spiral — shortening the decline from 10 years to a matter of months, Daniel Angres, medical director at Chicago’s Positive Sobriety Institute, told Bloomberg.

• That's because isolation takes away a key barrier to substance use — spending lots of time around healthy people.
• Substance abuse is also often triggered by real-time work stress, addiction specialists say.

What to watch: This problem is likely to persist as companies continue to allow employees to work from home.

• Office occupancy rates had been climbing since the peak of pandemic-era lockdowns, but they're still hovering around 50%, The Wall Street Journal notes.

A couple weeks ago, we asked readers to tell us their go-to breakfast. Hundreds of you responded, including Finish Liner Daniele K. of New York City.

• "I love the chew in a really good bagel. For years I have enjoyed a seeded or multigrain bagel with organic peanut butter."
• "Beverage of choice: Iced tea followed, sometimes, by espresso."

☕ Look for a special breakfast edition of Finish Line next week with more go-tos!