A Woman Had Her Stomach Removed After Drinking a Nitrogen-Infused Shot of Jager

This is the worst first drink story ever. 

A young man or woman making a first foray into good old-fashioned birthday drinking can expect many horrors to follow, but Englishwoman Gaby Scanlon’s 2012 ordeal was by far the worst case scenario. A celebratory night became a nightmare and eventually, Scanlon had to have her stomach removed.

Scanlon was celebrating her 18th birthday at Oscar’s Wine Bar in Lancaster in the UK in 2012 when she was handed a smoking shot of Jägermeister. As the BBC reported, Scanlon was concerned, and testified, “I turned to the man and asked if it was okay to drink. He said ‘Yes.'” 

Scanlon drank the shot, and in testimony quoted by the BBC, said, “Smoke was coming from my nose and mouth. Straight away I knew something was not right. My stomach expanded.”

She was taken to a medical facility where a CT scan revealed what the BBC termed—horribly—”a large perforation in her stomach.”

That “perforation” put Scanlon in the hospital for weeks. Her stomach was removed and her esophagus surgically connected to her small bowel. 

The smoke rising from the near-deadly shot had been from liquid nitrogen—a perfectly legal thing to add to shots for inexplicably theatrical effect. A nitro-shot is actually safe—as long as the nitrogen has completely evaporated. 

Scanlon, reported the BBC, “suffers from ‘episodes of agonising pain,’ has to avoid some foods and can no longer enjoy eating,” but Oscar’s was merely fined $156,000 (US). 

We’re gonna save the fake fog for Halloween and heavy metal shows from now on. It’s not like Jäger needs the enhancement. 

Photos by Nik Frey/Wikimedia