A new drinking trend sweeping TikTok has sent dozens of university students to hospital over the weekend, leaving campus officials concerned.
Twenty-eight ambulances were called to help students at the University of Massachusetts who had mixed up alcohol concoctions called "blackout rage gallons" – more commonly known on the social media platform as "borgs" .
So many ambulances were needed that neighbouring towns to Amherst, east of Boston, had to send their emergency vehicles too, according to local reports.
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The #borg TikTok trend involves taking a gallon container (3.7 litres) of water, emptying half of it and then mixing in alcohol, often vodka, flavoured powder, electrolytes and sometimes caffeine.
Views of the trend on TikTok have rapidly passed 82 million.
Many videos on TikTok have touted the supposed benefits of drinking a borg, claiming it wards off dehydration and the cap stops any attempt to drug the drinker.
But health officials have cautioned that diluting the alcohol doesn't change how students would be affected by the alcohol they consumed.
Other videos show students documenting their "borg" drinking day, checking in with updates which portray their descent towards intoxication.
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In a statement, the university said it will assess this weekend's events and take necessary steps to improve alcohol education.
"Many students were observed carrying plastic gallon containers, believed to be 'borgs' (blackout rage gallons, a mix of alcohol, electrolytes and water)," the university said.
"In recent weeks, this binge drinking trend has been increasingly depicted on TikTok and seen on college campuses across the country."
None of the ambulance callouts was categorised as life-threatening, officials said.
TikTok Australia have been contacted for comment.
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