Nearly 30 students at the University of Massachusetts were taken to the hospital by ambulance over the weekend after participating in a TikTok binge-drinking trend during the school's annual unsanctioned St. Patrick's Day party.
Popularized by TikTok, "BORGs," short for "blackout rage gallons," are the latest social media-inspired binge drinking trend. The gallon jugs are often labeled by marker with names like "Certified Lover Borg" or "Justin Borgber," and contain a mixture of water, alcohol and flavored energy drinks, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
Several TikTok videos that show the students drinking BORGS have gone viral, including one which has accrued 2 million views. In the video, a student asks their peers what nickname they have given their BORG.
The New York Post reported the dangerous trend has gained a foothold on TikTok among college-age users, who claim the BORG mixture keeps you hydrated as you drink. The addition of water and the electrolytes found in energy drinks helps reduce the effects of hangovers, but the size of the container encourages dangerous binge drinking.
The "Blarney Blowout" celebration reportedly kicks off spring break at the Amherst school and is usually filled with rowdy drinking, but UMass officials said this is the first time they have observed widespread use of BORGs at off-campus parties.
In all, 28 ambulances were dispatched to the festivities for student alcohol intoxication and there were so many calls for ambulances that neighboring towns stepped in and sent their emergency vehicles.
Nicole Barr, the direct services coordinator for the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Abrons Student Health Center, told CBS News that some BORG recipes call for a fifth of alcohol, which is equal to approximately 16 drinks.
None of the alcohol poisoning cases were life-threatening, according to the Amherst Fire Department, and UMass Police reported two arrests for underage drinking.
The university said in a statement the weekend's events will be assessed and next steps determined to improve alcohol education.
According to the UMass Amherst web site, incoming students are required to take an alcohol education course that teaches the physiological and medical risks of binge drinking.
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