A drinking trend known as BORG, short for "black out rage gallon," has become popular on college campuses, including the University of Virginia. Students often view the personalized gallon jugs, which mix alcohol with water and electrolytes, as a safer way to party, but health experts warn the practice encourages dangerous levels of binge drinking.
Key Takeaways
- BORGs are gallon jugs containing water, flavorings, electrolytes, and a large quantity of hard liquor, typically vodka.
- Students believe BORGs are safer because they control the ingredients and the hydration helps prevent hangovers.
- Medical experts warn that a typical BORG can contain the equivalent of 16 alcoholic shots, an amount that poses serious health risks.
- Dr. Nassima Ait-Daoud Tiouririne of UVA Health states the high alcohol volume can lead to severe intoxication, blackouts, and long-term organ damage.
The Rise of the BORG on College Campuses
The BORG has become a common sight at college social events. The trend, which gained significant traction on social media platforms like TikTok around 2021, involves students carrying a personalized gallon jug containing a mixed alcoholic beverage. These containers are often customized with humorous, pun-based names written on the side.
Events at the University of Virginia, such as the annual unsanctioned Midsummers celebration, see hundreds of students carrying these jugs. The appeal for many students is the perceived control and safety it offers compared to communal drinks often served at parties.
What's in a BORG?
A typical BORG recipe involves a one-gallon jug filled mostly with water. To this, students add flavoring packets, electrolyte powders or sports drinks, and a significant amount of hard liquor. Vodka is the most common choice, with many recipes calling for a fifth of a gallon—approximately 750 milliliters.
Students often believe that the large volume of water and the added electrolytes will keep them hydrated and reduce the severity of a hangover. This belief in harm reduction is a primary driver of the trend's popularity.
A Perceived Safety Measure
For many students, the BORG represents a form of responsible partying. By preparing their own drink, they know exactly what and how much they are consuming. This eliminates the risk of accepting drinks from strangers or consuming mystery punches at fraternity parties, which could be spiked or contain unknown amounts of alcohol.
Bass Wolf, the executive director of the Sexual Assault Resource Agency in Charlottesville, highlighted standard safety advice that aligns with this student mindset. His organization's guidance includes tips like, "Do not leave drinks unattended; avoid accepting drinks that you did not see prepared."
"My daughters are in college, and one of the things I tell them is that you have to control what you drink," said Dr. Nassima Ait-Daoud Tiouririne, a psychiatrist at UVA Health. "So there is that thinking it’s like, ‘I prepared my drink. I know exactly what’s in it.’ There is a sense of control and safety.”
However, Dr. Tiouririne emphasizes that this sense of control is misleading when the total alcohol volume is dangerously high.
Medical Experts Issue Strong Warnings
Despite student perceptions, health professionals are sounding the alarm about the sheer quantity of alcohol consumed in a single BORG. Dr. Tiouririne, who specializes in addiction medicine, expressed shock at the typical alcohol content.
By the Numbers: Alcohol in a BORG
A standard BORG recipe using one-fifth of a gallon of vodka contains approximately 16 standard drinks (or "shots"). The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism defines binge drinking for men as 5 or more drinks in about 2 hours, and for women as 4 or more drinks in the same timeframe.
Dr. Tiouririne explained that consuming such a large amount of alcohol, even over several hours, is extremely dangerous. "It gives them a false sense of safety, unfortunately," she stated. "But it really pickles their brain."
Immediate and Long-Term Health Risks
The immediate risks associated with finishing a BORG are severe. "With heat and the sweating and dehydration, it could really lead to severe intoxication, blackout and even a coma," Dr. Tiouririne warned. She added that the long-term consequences of such extreme binge drinking are "terrible."
According to health guidelines, consuming more than two drinks per day for men or one for women can lead to negative health outcomes. Dr. Tiouririne noted the dangers of binge drinking:
- Accelerated Consequences: "When you start binging like that, it actually multiplies the consequences and makes the consequences happen earlier in life."
- Chronic Diseases: Repeated episodes can contribute to liver disease and other chronic health problems.
- Increased Cancer Risk: Binge drinking is linked to a higher risk of several cancers, including liver, breast, and colon cancer.
Dr. Tiouririne said the amount of alcohol in a BORG is "simply unsafe period," regardless of the added water and electrolytes.
Student Experiences and Drinking Culture
The culture surrounding BORGs often turns high-risk drinking into a game. Students sometimes draw lines on their jugs with challenges to complete as they drink down to each mark. Rick Rodd, a Virginia Tech student visiting UVA, had challenges on his BORG that included "Do 10 pushups" and "Streak the Lawn."
Some students do acknowledge the dangers and attempt to modify their recipes. Rodd mentioned that he and his friends learned from a bad experience not to use an entire fifth of vodka in one jug. "Yeah, we were throwing up by like 4 p.m.," he recounted.
Despite these adjustments, the normalization of consuming a gallon-sized alcoholic beverage remains a central concern for health officials. While students may see it as a controlled way to drink, experts argue the trend fundamentally promotes a dangerous and potentially life-threatening level of alcohol consumption.