Borg is the latest drinking game to take over college campuses and TikTok feeds in the US, but experts have warned that it is dangerous. What is a borg, though?
Most teenagers, especially those who live on campus, have to try binge drinking at some point. However, health professionals warn that the latest binge drinking trend going around on TikTok is very dangerous.
People who have finished college can be forgiven if they don’t know what kids are doing these days or what’s popular. So, keep reading to find out what a “borg drink” is and why it’s dangerous.
What is the Trend of BORG Drink on Tiktok?
The acronym BORG stands for “blackout rage gallon.” As the name suggests, a person mixes a half-gallon of water and a half-gallon of alcohol, usually vodka, with an electrolyte flavour enhancer and then drinks it. People think it’s popular because they think the electrolyte keeps them hydrated and also lets them drink a lot of alcohol without getting drunk because the alcohol is mixed with water. Borg is the name for the big plastic jugs that people fill with this drink. Because these jugs are so big, people tend to drink too much at once, which can be dangerous.
How Did the BORG Start Trending?
After a video about the borg drinking method was posted on TikTok on February 5, 2023, it became popular. It has been seen by more than 3.3 million people so far. In the video, which is a stitch of TikTok user Bellaaalonzo’s borg recipe, the borg is praised for having the right amount of water to alcohol, being able to be closed with a lid, and having an ingredient called Liquid I.V.
Gen Z probably liked the trend because it is easy to get drunk with ingredients that are easy to find and taste good. The electrolyte enhancer in the borg is also said to keep you from getting too thirsty. A borg also comes with a lid and a handle, which is very helpful. This means that you’ll always know what’s in your drink, making you feel safer.
A TikTok user named Erin. monroe_ also gave her take on the borg trend by saying that the gallon-jug mixed drink is a way to reduce harm.
Why the Trend of BORG Drinking is Dangerous?
But not everyone is on board with the idea that the new way of drinking is safer. Health experts say that the new drinking trend is “extremely dangerous” because it encourages people to drink a lot all at once.
Sarah O’Brien, a specialist in addiction, told Yahoo, “I can’t find a good thing about it. I don’t think it’s good for anyone, especially young people, to mix a gallon of liquor with a mixer.
Many students have talked about the proportions they use to make borg, and experts have asked how much alcohol they are using.
Dr. George F. Koob, who is in charge of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health, says, “Like any other way to drink alcohol, the risks will mostly depend on how much alcohol a person drinks and how quickly they drink it.”
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Koob has seen recipes that call for a half gallon of vodka, and he says that “drinking this much alcohol would kill the vast majority of people, even if they did it over the course of a whole day.”
Has the BORG Challenge led to Any Hospitalisations?
The BORG drinking game appears to be especially well-liked among American university students. The New York Post reported earlier this month that numerous young people were brought to hospitals after playing the game. Students reportedly became unwell after participating in Blarney Blowout, an annual St. Patrick’s Day event, and 28 ambulances were reportedly dispatched to a nearby college.
On Saturday, March 4, the University of Massachusetts Amherst officials reported that 28 ambulances from “a considerable number of alcohol intoxication patients” were treated by the Amherst fire department. Additionally, they affirmed that none of the cases posed a threat to life. Many youngsters were seen carrying plastic gallon jugs, which are thought to be “borgs,” the statement stated.
The statement continues by particularly linking the social media platform TikTok to the game, and officials pledged to do all within their power to enhance student education regarding alcohol and safe drinking habits. “This binge drinking behaviour has become more prevalent recently on TikTok and on college campuses around the nation,” it says.
Officials from UMass claimed that this was the first time the university had noticed any significant use of borgs. They will evaluate the events of this past weekend, think about ways to improve alcohol education and intervention and interact with kids and families. At the moment, all incoming students take part in a mandatory course called Alcohol.edu that teaches them about the physiological and medical consequences of binge drinking as well as the number of normal drinks.
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