A young woman from the United Kingdom had her stomach removed after drinking cocktail that had liquid nitrogen in it.
According to a BBC report, Gaby Scanlon who was 18 years old at that time, was celebrating her birthday at a family-owned bar, the Oscar's Wine Bar located in Lancaster.
The bar has been fined about $155,000 after the drink that was served to now 20-year-old Scanlon caused extensive damage to her stomach.
Scanlon was served the Nitro-Jägermeister for her birthday. She asked the bartender if the drink was safe to consume, to which he replied yes.
A few moments after drinking the shot, the birthday girl knew something was not right, according to her reported account to the court.
She described that smoke came out from her nose and mouth and she immediately knew something was wrong. "My stomach expanded," she said, according to BBC News.
Scanlon was then taken to Royal Lancaster Infirmary, where she spent three weeks recuperating after getting surgery. Since the drink had caused a large hole to form in her stomach, the organ had to be completely removed.
Her esophagus is now directly connected to her small intestine and her lawyers said that she is now suffering from intense pain and cannot enjoy eating.
Liquid nitrogen was present in her drink that time as a way to create a dramatic effect of a smoky glass.
Liquid nitrogen-laced drinks and cocktails are not illegal; in fact, the chemical is also used in making ice cream and other edible food items for science, but according to experts, the liquid gas needs to completely evaporate before anyone consumes it.
Although the nitrogen is generally non-toxic, it can be extremely cold that it can cause instant frostbite.
In addition, even if the liquid gas evaporates, the liquid remaining could still be cold enough to be hazardous.
