With spring events around the corner, “blackout rage gallons” are becoming increasingly more visible on college campuses. Credit: Owen Milnes | Lantern File Photo
The newest drinking trend on campus is anything but “BORG-ing,” but with a name like “black out rage gallon,” it’s not hard to imagine its risks.
As Ohio State’s annual spring festivities draw near, many students are hastening their celebratory drinking through means of vibrant and wittily named gallon-sized drinking containers. The TikTok drinking trend can be dangerous, though, as 46 University of Massachuesetts students were hospitalized in one night after partying with BORGs in March, according to CBS.
The term BORG refers to gallon-sized drinking containers containing a mixture of water, hard liquor and a flavored drink additive. Becoming more noticeable on Ohio State’s campus in light of Saturday’s spring game and Senior Bar Crawl May 2, the gallons pose risks to student drinkers.
“Drinking is a part of our culture, and that’s not a good or a bad thing,” Assistant Director within the Student Wellness Center and Collegiate Recovery Program Coordinator Ahmed Hosni said. “But it becomes dangerous when binge drinking over and over.”
Hosni said one of the main concerns surrounding BORGs is that many consumers are unable to gauge the quantity of alcohol they’ve added to the drink because it’s often poured without measurement.
Hosni said that if students decide to make BORG, they should create a ratio that is safe to drink.
According to a 2016 study conducted by the Center for the Study of Student Life, almost 50 percent of its respondents reported binge drinking at least once a month to manage stress.
Executive Director of the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery Jim Lange said students should think through how much alcohol would help them achieve their goals for an outing.
“You know, sometimes that can be none,” Lange said. “In fact, there are some really good studies that have had young people drink placebos, so no alcohol, and you’ll get a lot of those social things. They’re laughing, they’re having more fun, they’re loosening up, so a lot of this is really just ‘What’s your mindset?’”
To prevent binge drinking, females should not consume more than four drinks and males should not consume over five drinks in the span of two hours, according to the Student Wellness Center’s website.
Hosni said the Student Wellness Center will be offering services aimed at providing alcohol-free environments and educating students on safe drinking practices.
Hosni said during the spring game, the wellness center will work in collaboration with the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life and the councils that represent chapters of Ohio State to host a Scarlet and Gray Tailgate at the Wexner Art Plaza near 15th Avenue. The event will begin at 9 a.m. and serve as an alcohol-free alternative to celebrate with games, music and food for students.
At the Senior Bar Crawl, the wellness center will be tabling along High Street, offering kits to remind students about the importance of spacing their drinks, being aware of their surroundings and avoiding the dangers of excessive drinking, Hosni said.
As part of their efforts to promote risk reduction strategies, Hosni said the center will offer complimentary snacks, water and Coke products during the event. Hosni said this is in hopes of encouraging attendees to take breaks, consume non-alcoholic beverages and eat food to help keep students safe. Additionally, staff members will be present to assist students with any concerns and provide access to emergency resources if necessary.
“We definitely want to make sure that there are services to support those students,” Hosni said. “I hope that, you know, it doesn’t end in tragedy, which, we often know, comes with these types of events.”
In addition to concerns regarding potential overconsumption, the popularity of BORGs could also cause greater legal risks than traditional drinking, Lange said.
“One of the elements here is that people are walking around with open containers,” Lange said. “Depending on the jurisdiction, there is an enforcement activity risk for students that they may need to consider.”
In Ohio, possession of an open container of beer or intoxicating liquor in any public space is prohibited and could lead to a minor misdemeanor, punishable by up to a $150 fine, according to Ohio Revised Code 4301.62.
Despite the trend’s prevalence in the media, there is currently still very little research out about the phenomenon. Hosni said research on the topic will likely surface over the course of the next six months to a year.
“We hope the education that the students have received up to this point leads them to that idea that we can do this in a healthy way,” Hosni said. “It doesn’t have to be blackout, it doesn’t have to be raging. It could just be fun with puns, you know, and drinking safely.”
