UMass Warns Of TikTok Binge-Drinking Trend That Led To 28 Ambulance Requests

The University of Massachusetts Amherst issued a warning about a dangerous TikTok trend that led to dozens of ambulance calls being made near the campus.

Officials said students were celebrating the "Blarney Blowout" — an unsanctioned event that takes place every year in connection with the upcoming St. Patrick's Day — when 28 ambulances requests were made to off-campus parties Saturday.

It is believed that celebrating college students were indulging in an ongoing TikTok trend that encourages participants to binge drink, according to AP News.

Students at the off-campus gatherings were seen carrying plastic gallon containers or jugs, referred to as "blackout rage gallons" or "BORGs" in the binge-drinking online trend. The concoction in the containers is made of a mixture of alcohol, electrolytes, flavoring, and water.

Officials said 28 ambulance requests were made to the off-campus parties with regard to student alcohol intoxication. The Amherst Fire Department was assisted by neighboring agencies in view of the large number of ambulance requests.

A UMass spokesperson said none of the students sustained life-threatening conditions, according to PennLive. Two arrests were made for underage drinking, UMass Police said.

University officials noted that this was the first time they discovered such widespread usage of "borgs" among students. They said the off-campus gatherings would be assessed and measures would be taken to improve students' understanding and consumption of alcohol.

In a statement, the university added incoming students would be expected to take up a course to help them understand the size of standard drinks and create awareness of the physiological and medical dangers associated with binge drinking.

Nicole Barr, direct services coordinator at the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Abrons Student Health Center, said it is concerning how much alcohol is consumed as part of the growing TikTok trend.

According to Barr, most "borg" recipes contain a fifth of alcohol and would be around 16 drinks or more. "That's a lot for any person to ingest, especially in one sitting. So that was a huge concern," she told CBS News.

Dr. George F. Koob, the director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism at the National Institutes of Health, said some borg recipes include half a gallon of alcohol, about 43 standard servings.

"Consuming this much alcohol would be fatal for the vast majority of people, even if spread out over a full day. It is unknown how many students actually follow borg recipes that call for a half gallon of vodka, but doing so could turn deadly depending on how much they end up consuming," Koob told the outlet.