Borgs: Dozens of UMass students hospitalized after they take part in dangerous binge-drinking viral trend
AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS: A dangerous viral trend on TikTok for binge drinking has affected many students at the University of Massachusetts as they had to be hospitalized over the weekend. Dozens of students were followers of the 'blackout rage gallons' trend also dubbed as 'borgs.' The situation grew worse as emergency vehicles from neighboring towns had to be sent to rescue the students.
Twenty-eight ambulances were called to the Amherst school where students took part in 'Blarney Blowout', an annual St Patrick's Day celebration. Several students with plastic gallon jugs gathered in the snow for the celebrations, reported NY Post.
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What is the 'Borg' trend on TikTok?
'Borgs', or 'blackout rage gallons' is a destructive trend on TikTok that has gained popularity among users who are mostly college-goers. The borgs jug contains a mixture of electrolytes, alcohol, water, and flavoring which keeps the consumers hydrated when they binge-drink, claims users. On TikTok, the hashtag #borg has received more than 74.7 million views.
The huge size of the jug motivates them to dangerously binge drink. Nicole Barr, who is an official with the Abrons Student Health Center of the University of North Carolina Wilmington, stated that some of the borg recipes include a fifth of alcohol which amounts to about 16 drinks, according to CBS News. She said, "That's a lot for any person to ingest, especially in one sitting. So that was a huge concern."
Video of UMass students 'Borg' trend goes viral
Numerous videos surfaced on TikTok which showed college students consuming alcohol from the borgs went viral. One of the clips, showed a student asking the others about the nickname of their borg. With more than two million views, the video featured students with their borgs nicknamed such as 'Certified Lover Borg', 'Soulja Borg', and 'Justin Borgber'.
The Amherst Fire Department confirmed that none of the alcohol poisoning cases were life-threatening. According to the UMass police, two people were taken into custody for underage drinking. The university's statement revealed that the weekend event will be assessed and necessary steps will be taken to help raise awareness regarding alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the UMass Amherst website shared that an alcohol education course is mandatory for incoming students to be aware of the perils of binge drinking.
