Have you ever heard of the liquid nitrogen cocktail? For the past few years the internet has been going crazy for the interesting addition being made to alcoholic beverages throughout various bars hoping to snare in the experimental by offering something a little different than the usual. As soon as it went viral however, it started to come with news stories that highlighted the dangers of the drink when ingested. This is just another one of those stories that has brought up whether or not the legitimate sale of these drinks should be allowed in bars throughout the country.
A wine bar called Oscar’s Wine Bar and Bistro are now being sued by a 20 year old woman named Gaby Scanlon to the tune of £100,000. After being offered a shot of Nitro-Jager for free on her 18th birthday, Scanlon complained of feeling agonising pain in her stomach while smoke came from her mouth and nose. After being forced to loosen her clothes in an attempt to feel better, she was taken to hospital where she was forced to have an emergency surgery in which her stomach was removed.
Since this sad case that led to a young woman needing life saving surgery, the validity of the use of liquid nitrogen as a form of consumption has been called into question. When it comes to this wine bar in particular, the judge stated “It’s astonishing that no risk assessment had ever been carried out. There was a failure to heed warnings and advice from a senior health and safety officer. Overall there is evidence of serious systemic failings within the organisation.” Liquid nitrogen, which is usually used to freeze off warts among other things, has a distinctive look that many find intriguing.
In a statement, the wine bar stated that, “The company and the family are truly sorry. At no time did they see anything warning them of the risks of ingestion. The essence of this calamity was the ignorance on the part of the company.” What do you think about this? Do you think that these types of drinks should be banned or do you think it’s at the discretion of the drinker? Perhaps there should be more information out there on the possibility of the drinks being fatal, meaning that all consumers know before they choose to buy.
