Cocktail | |
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Type | Mixed drink |
Standard drinkware | Plastic gallon water jug |
Commonly used ingredients |
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A borg (short for blackout rage gallon) [1] is a mixed drink made in a plastic gallon jug, containing water, vodka, flavored drink mix such as MiO or Kool-Aid, and sometimes electrolyte mix such as Pedialyte. The drink gained popularity at universities in the United States in the early 2020s, spreading among members of Generation Z on TikTok in late 2022 and early 2023. [2] [3] Drinkers typically label their borg jug with a nickname, often a pun on the word "borg." [3] [4] [5]
Borgs have been touted as a hangover remedy and a harm reduction strategy, counteracting the effects of alcohol with water and electrolytes, but these claims are not grounded in scientific evidence. [6] [7] The drink's high alcohol content and convenient packaging also facilitate binge drinking, with a typical recipe calling for a fifth of vodka, equivalent to about 16 drinks. [1]
Officials blamed borg consumption for a mass hospitalization event at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in March 2023. [8]
Borgs originated at parties at state universities in the United States as early as 2018. [3] [9] The drink's popularity grew throughout the following few years, largely due to video trends on TikTok in which drinkers shared recipes and punny nicknames for their borgs. [3] [10] The COVID-19 pandemic may have also contributed to the popularity of the drink, as it is typically consumed by one person and not shared, reducing the risk of germ transmission. [4]
Many advocates have pointed out advantages of borgs compared to traditional alcoholic beverages, with some touting them as a harm reduction method. [3] [6] One common claim is that the drink's high water content and inclusion of electrolytes may reduce the risks of binge drinking, including dehydration, alcohol intoxication, and hangovers. [3] [11] Borgs are typically made by the drinker, giving them more control over the contents of their drink than common party alternatives such as jungle juice. [2] Harm reduction advocates have also noted that borgs, which are typically held by the drinker in a sealed jug, are less prone to spiking and germ transmission than traditional drinks. [2] [12]
Other proposed benefits of borgs include their flavor additives masking the taste of alcohol, [13] their translucent jugs allowing drinkers to see how much they have consumed and pace themselves, [7] and their sealed containers allowing drinkers to circumvent open-container laws. [13]
Medical experts have rejected the borg's claimed benefits, instead blaming the drink for promoting binge drinking. Many experts have warned that a borg's typical fifth of vodka, equivalent to roughly 16 shots, is dangerous for one person to consume, even when mixed with other ingredients or spread out over a full day. [1] [2] [12] Some borg flavoring powder, such as MiO, also contains caffeine, which experts have noted can have dangerous effects when mixed with alcohol. [11] Boston University health law professor David Jernigan noted that the borg does not "meaningfully reduce the risks of drinking," including alcoholic liver disease. [6] Gus Colangelo, an Emergency Medicine Physician at Tufts Medical Center, claimed borgs are even more dangerous than traditional alcoholic beverages, calling them a method of "uncontrolled drinking." [12]
The risks of borgs drew national attention after March 4, 2023, when 46 students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst were hospitalized after consuming borgs during an annual Saint Patrick's Day celebration called the Blarney Blowout. [14] Patients were transported to the hospital in 32 ambulances, a record in the history of the annual event. [13] They were treated for a variety of alcohol-related issues including alcohol intoxication, but all were discharged without life-threatening injuries. [14] [13] In a statement, university officials said this was their first observation of notable borg usage and warned students about the risks of binge drinking. [15]
An alcopop is any of certain mixed alcoholic beverages with relatively low alcohol content, including:
Alcoholism is the continued drinking of alcohol despite it causing problems. Some definitions require evidence of dependence and withdrawal. Problematic use of alcohol has been mentioned in the earliest historical records, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated there were 283 million people with alcohol use disorders worldwide as of 2016. The term alcoholism was first coined in 1852, but alcoholism and alcoholic are stigmatizing and discourage seeking treatment, so clinical diagnostic terms such as alcohol use disorder or alcohol dependence are used instead.
Drinking culture is the set of traditions and social behaviors that surround the consumption of alcoholic beverages as a recreational drug and social lubricant. Although alcoholic beverages and social attitudes toward drinking vary around the world, nearly every civilization has independently discovered the processes of brewing beer, fermenting wine and distilling spirits.
Alcohol education is the practice of disseminating disinformation about the effects of alcohol on health, as well as society and the family unit. It was introduced into the public schools by temperance organizations such as the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in the late 19th century. Initially, alcohol education focused on how the consumption of alcoholic beverages affected society, as well as the family unit. In the 1930s, this came to also incorporate education pertaining to alcohol's effects on health. For example, even light and moderate alcohol consumption increases cancer risk in individuals. Organizations such as the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism in the United States were founded to promulgate alcohol education alongside those of the temperance movement, such as the American Council on Alcohol Problems.
Alcohol has a number of effects on health. Short-term effects of alcohol consumption include intoxication and dehydration. Long-term effects of alcohol include changes in the metabolism of the liver and brain, several types of cancer and alcohol use disorder. Alcohol intoxication affects the brain, causing slurred speech, clumsiness, and delayed reflexes. There is an increased risk of developing an alcohol use disorder for teenagers while their brain is still developing. Adolescents who drink have a higher probability of injury including death.
Although the minimum legal age to purchase alcohol is 21 in all U.S. states and most territories, the legal details for consumption vary greatly. Although some states completely ban alcohol usage for people under 18, the majority have exceptions that permit consumption.
Recommendations for consumption of the drug alcohol vary from recommendations to be alcohol-free to daily or weekly drinking "safe limits" or maximum intakes. Many governmental agencies and organizations have issued guidelines. These recommendations concerning maximum intake are distinct from any legal restrictions, for example countries with drunk driving laws or countries that have prohibited alcohol. To varying degrees, these recommendations are also distinct from the scientific evidence, such as the short-term effects of alcohol consumption and long-term effects of alcohol consumption.
A hangover is the experience of various unpleasant physiological and psychological effects usually following the consumption of alcohol, such as wine, beer, and liquor. Hangovers can last for several hours or for more than 24 hours. Typical symptoms of a hangover may include headache, drowsiness, concentration problems, dry mouth, dizziness, fatigue, gastrointestinal distress, absence of hunger, light sensitivity, depression, sweating, hyper-excitability, irritability, and anxiety.
Binge drinking, or heavy episodic drinking, is drinking alcoholic beverages with an intention of becoming intoxicated by heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time, but definitions vary considerably.
Alcohol is commonly consumed and available at pubs and liquor stores in Australia – all of which are private enterprises. Spirits can be purchased at liquor stores and pubs, whereas most grocery stores do not sell them, although they may have separate liquor stores on their premises. Alcohol consumption is higher, according to WHO studies, than in most European countries and several Central Asian and African countries, although consumption is just as high in Australia as in North America. After tobacco, alcohol is the second leading preventable cause of death and hospitalisation in Australia.
Binge drinking is the practice of consuming excessive amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. Due to the idiosyncrasies of the human body, the exact amount of alcohol that would constitute binge drinking differs among individuals. The definitions of binge drinking are also nuanced across cultures and population subgroups. For example, many studies use gender-specific measures of binge drinking. The epidemiology of binge drinking likewise differs across cultures and population subgroups.
A caffeinated alcoholic drink is a drink that contains both alcohol and a significant amount of caffeine. Caffeine, a stimulant, masks some of the depressant effects of alcohol. However, in 2010 and 2011, this type of drink faced criticism for posing health risks to its drinkers. In some places there is a ban on caffeinated alcoholic drinks.
The legal drinking age varies from country to country. In the United States, the legal drinking age is currently 21. To curb excessive alcohol consumption by younger people, instead of raising the drinking age, other countries have raised the prices of alcohol beverages and encouraged the general public to drink less. Setting a legal drinking age of 21 is designed to discourage reckless alcohol consumption by youth, limiting consumption to those who are more mature, who can be expected to make reasonable and wise decisions when it comes to drinking.
Pregaming is the process of getting drunk prior to going out socializing, typically done by college students and young adults in a manner as cost-efficient as possible, with hard liquor and cheap beer consumed while in group.
Alcohol is a liquid form substance which contains ethyl alcohol that can cause harm and even damage to a person's DNA. "Alcohol consumption is recognized worldwide as a leading risk factor for disease, disability, and death" and is rated as the most used substance by adolescences. Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and psychological changes, usually a time in a person life in which they go through puberty. Combining these transitional stages and the intake of alcohol can leave a number of consequences for an adolescent.
Alcohol is the most frequently used drug by residents living in all isolated, remote and rural regions in Australia. Alcohol consumption is particularly misused by individuals in these areas due to numerous factors distinctive of rural Australia. These factors consist of the reduced access to education and health care professionals with alcohol treatment services, leading to higher rates of unemployment and economic disadvantage. These characteristics promote increased levels of disease, injury and death as a result of the high alcohol-related harms that are substantial in rural communities across Australia.
Many students attending colleges, universities, and other higher education institutions consume alcoholic beverages. The laws and social culture around this practice vary by country and institution type, and within an institution, some students may drink heavily whereas others may not drink at all. In the United States, drinking tends to be particularly associated with fraternities.
TikTok food trends are specific food recipes and food-related fads on the social media platform TikTok. This content amassed popularity in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, as many people cooked and ate at home and more people turned to social media for entertainment. While some TikTok users share their diets and recipes, others expand their brand or image on TikTok through step-by-step videos of easy and popular recipes. Users often refer to food-related content as "FoodTok."
Alcohol in the United Kingdom is legal to buy, sell and consume. Consumption rates within the country are high among the average of OECD nations however average among European countries but consistently ranks highest on binge drinking culture. An estimated 29 million people in the United Kingdom drank alcohol in 2017.
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