Local college students holding ‘borg-themed events’, doctors warn against them

DAYTON — A new alcoholic drink trending on social media has reached local universities in the Dayton area.

News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott spoke with local college students Thursday who have participated in this trend and the dangers of it.

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Black Out Rage Gallon, or BORG, is a dangerous drink popular among young adults, especially college students, and has been seen nationwide. Students at the University of Dayton know what BORG drinking is.

“People have BORG-themed events, and then you’re all everyone makes their own,” Angela Nurin, a junior at the University of Dayton, said.

This Tik-Tok trend has branded this drink as a way for someone to become heavily drunk without having a hangover the next day.

“Everyone knows it’s a marathon, not a race. That’s what the saying is,” Alton Albright, a sophomore at the University of Dayton, said.

BORG is made by filling a gallon jug with a half gallon of water, alcohol (usually vodka), flavoring of some type, liquid IV for electrolytes, and caffeine and then shaken together.

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Doctors say this drink recipe is a good way to end up as a patient in the emergency room.

“The caffeine definitely acts as something that dehydrates your body, which would make the alcohol have a much greater effect on your body,” Dr. Joe Mauro, Medical Director Emergency Department, Miami Valley Hospital, said.

University of Dayton students said they do not use caffeine in their BORG recipe.

“I don’t know anyone that does caffeine. We’re not that crazy,” a University of Dayton student said.

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Students believe BORG drinks are safe since the jug has a lid.

“You’re holding on to it the whole time. There’s always a lid on it,” said Angela Nurin, a junior at the University of Dayton.

However, doctors say the high alcohol content makes it dangerous either way.

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“People could be at risk just because of loss of judgment from the alcohol to potentially still having their drinks tampered with,” said Mauro

Even with the recent spike in hospitalizations, students at the University of Dayton have plans to make more soon because they said they are being responsible and going at their own pace when drinking.

“We were actually talking about St. Patrick’s Day and what color BORG we were gonna use for St. Patrick’s Day,” a University of Dayton student said.

Of the six local universities, News Center 7 called Thursday, five of them, including the University of Dayton, say they have yet to hear of BORG drinking.

Doctors at Miami Valley Hospital have not had any BORG patients yet, but if the drinking trend continues, they will not be surprised when students start showing up at the emergency room.

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