'BORGs' abound at Waterloo St. Patrick’s Day, but what are they?
A new youth binge-drinking trend was on display in the streets of Waterloo’s university district Friday.
If you looked closely, you could see many St. Patrick’s Day party-goers drinking from something called a ‘BORG.’
WHAT IS A BORG?
Typically mixed and carried in a large gallon jug, ‘BORG’ stands for ‘black out rage gallon.’
The drink is usually made of vodka and an electrolyte drink like Gatorade – a specific mixture aimed at hydration and inebriation.
“It’s kind of the best way to get through your St. Patrick’s Day festivities,” a student who identified himself as John told CTV News on Monday.
The results, according to John and a fellow BORG enthusiast, were mixed.
“If you’re getting some type of water and hydration in at the same time, I guess that’s the idea of helping you out,” John said. “Me and my buddy over there, we kind of passed out and didn’t go out, so I’m not sure it did a great job.”
“It blew up a little bit just because you are staying hydrated and stuff like that,” another student told CTV. “And me personally, I woke up without a hangover and went to work, so it does the job.”
A student holds up a BORG at a St. Patrick's Day party in Waterloo on March 17, 2023. (CTV Kitchener)
WHERE DID THE BORG TREND COME FROM?
The popularity of ‘BORGs’ has spread online, particularly through TikTok.
“It’s all over TikTok right now as a trend to do harm reduction with binge drinking,” said Aimee Morrison, a University of Waterloo professor who studies social media and online trends.
"You can take pictures of yourself with the jug, it became a type of binge drinking for the gram."
Morrison says the concept of a communal drinking experience has been around for decades, but the combination of binge drinking and wellness makes this trend a very Gen Z phenomenon.
“[The idea is] ‘we’re not going to use Redbull, we’re going to use electrolyte water, we want to reduce the negative downstream consequences of this.’ So they are almost flying a flag of personal safety and health, out of what is the same old risk of over drinking,” Morrison said.
ARE 'BORGs' SAFER THAN OTHER FORMS OF DRINKING?
Canada's health guidelines make it very clear that binge drinking is not safe under any circumstances.
“No amount of electrolytes is going to protect you of the effects of alcohol,” Morrison said.
“The jug is very large, you want to be very careful about how much alcohol you put in it relative to other liquids. It’s the dose that creates the poison and it’s very easy to put way to much alcohol in these jugs.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.