Students warned about ‘BORG’ drinking before St. Pat’s weekend

A "BORG" drinking trend has students putting alcohol in gallon jugs
This has university officials nervous about student safety
Before St. Patrick's Day, colleges put out warnings about BORGs

Updated: Mar 17, 2023 / 04:03 PM CDT

The concept of a “borg” isn’t exactly new. But the trend has taken off on social media in recent months. (Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — Ahead of St. Patrick’s Day weekend, universities are warning students about a new drinking trend: BORG.

BORG stands for Blackout Rage Gallon. After 28 ambulances were called to the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus on March 4 because of alcohol intoxication after BORG drinking, more universities are warning their students against the trend.

The BORG is a gallon jug of water, alcohol or energy drinks. The “recipe” calls for half the jug to be filled with alcohol — that’s 64 ounces. College students are also mixing electrolytes into their BORGs to prevent hangovers.

Scroll the hashtag #BORGs on TikTok, and you’ll find hundreds of millions of videos. On Friday, #PatrickBORG, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, had over 2 million, so campuses are likely on high alert.

At Boston University, the school’s Student Health Services posted on Facebook, asking students to read up on safer alternatives to BORGs, and explaining how to get help in an alcohol-related emergency. Northeastern University, also in Massachusetts, put out information of its own.

Experts say because half the gallon is supposed to be water, students are under the misconception that BORGs are a healthier way to drink.

But no amount of water will save someone from the effects of 43 drinks — which is the amount of alcohol that can potentially be in BORGs, according to George Koob, director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. He said that is enough to kill someone.

This comes, Koob said, as college women, for the first time in history, are binge drinking more than men.

“There are a number of studies that indicate that the reason for drinking or overdrinking in women is to cope with stress,” Koob said. “It’s true for men as well, but it seems more prevalent in women.”