UMass is warning students about a new drinking trend on the China-owned app TikTok, which has reportedly resulted in 28 ambulances being called to off-campus parties in the area. The trend involves students creating a “blackout rage gallon” of alcohol, flavoring, and other ingredients, which poses a serious binge drinking risk to even experienced drinkers.
Officials said students were seen over the weekend carrying jugs containing a mixture of alcohol, electrolytes, flavoring, and water, according to a report by Boston 25 News.
Shou Zi Chew, chief executive officer of TikTok Inc. Photographer: Bryan van der Beek/Bloomberg via Getty Images
The concoction is known as a “blackout rage gallon,” or a “BORG,” and is used to participate in a dangerous new binge-drinking challenge that is currently trending on TikTok.
Officials reportedly added that there were so many calls for ambulances as a result of student alcohol consumption, that neighboring agencies had to step in and help.
While the Amherst Fire Department said none of the cases were life-threatening, campus police ended up making two arrests for underage drinking.
The University of Massachusetts police added that this is the first time the school has experienced a widespread use of “BORGs” at students’ parties. The university is now assessing what happened over the weekend, and looking at steps that can be taken to improve alcohol-related education.
Ambulances being called to college parties over the “blackout rage gallon” trend is just the latest example of how TikTok, a platform owned by a hostile foreign country, is a danger to youths. The Chinese app is known for encouraging kids to participate in trends that are dangerous and life-threatening.
Earlier this year, a 12-year-old girl in Argentina died after participating in the deadly “choking challenge” first popularized on TikTok. The girl’s death was even filmed in a video call while her classmates watched as she attempted the deadly challenge.
Last summer, a 14-year-old and a 12-year-old in the UK allegedly died due to attempting the same challenge.
In another example, the FDA warned parents last September of a deadly new TikTok challenge that involves children cooking chicken in NyQuil, “presumably to eat.”
Another TikTok challenge in 2020 involved urging users to take large doses of the allergy medication Benadryl (diphenhydramine) to induce hallucinations. The challenge resulted in reports of teens being rushed to the hospital, and in some cases, dying.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.