On October 4, 2012, Gaby Scanlon was celebrating her 18th birthday at Oscar’s Wine Bar in Lancaster, England, when she was offered a complimentary smoking cocktail called Nitro-Jägermeister.
Before drinking it, Gaby asked the bartender whether the unusual drink was safe. She was reassured that there was nothing to worry about.
But just four seconds after taking a sip, her birthday celebration turned into a medical emergency.
Gaby described feeling an explosion inside her body as smoke poured from her mouth and nose. Her abdomen began expanding, and she was rushed to Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
Doctors discovered that the liquid nitrogen in the cocktail had caused severe damage to her stomach tissue, freezing and perforating it.
To save her life, surgeons had to remove her entire stomach. They then connected her esophagus directly to her small intestine, allowing her to continue receiving food without the organ.
Following the emergency operation, Gaby remained in the hospital for three weeks.
An investigation later revealed that the bar had already received a warning about the dangers of these drinks.
In May 2012, a health inspector had sent the establishment a letter explaining the risks associated with liquid nitrogen cocktails and providing instructions for their safe use. However, the warnings were ignored.
In September 2015, the establishment pleaded guilty to putting customers’ safety at risk and was ordered to pay a fine of £100,000, equivalent to approximately $155,000 at the exchange rate at the time.
Although Gaby survived the terrifying incident, the consequences have affected her permanently.
Without a stomach, she can no longer digest food normally. She must follow a severely restricted diet consisting of small portions and liquids, and she continues to experience chronic pain following the extensive digestive reconstruction.
What began as a complimentary birthday drink left her facing lifelong medical consequences, all because of a cocktail that had been presented as safe.
