NEW DELHI, July 28 (Xinhua) -- The northern Indian state of Haryana Friday banned the mixing of liquid nitrogen in drinks and food, after a young businessman recently burnt a hole in his stomach by drinking an alcoholic beverage laced with the chemical in the city of Gurgaon.
"The Haryana government has officially banned liquid nitrogen in drinks and food. Any pub or restaurant found violating the ban will be dealt with sternly," a senior government official said, on condition of anonymity.
On April 13, the 30-year-old businessman went with his friends to a bar in Gurgaon on the outskirts of the Indian capital and drank the new cocktail on the menu. After gulping down one glass, he ordered another.
"Within seconds, my stomach started swelling and I was in unbearable pain. Breathing was also difficult," the businessman told the media.
Seeing him gasping for breath, his friends rushed him to a nearby hospital, where doctors found a hole in his stomach upon examination. Doctors had to remove a part of his stomach, as the gas was trapped inside and, with no outlet, burnt a hole.
Dr Amit Goswami, one of the surgeons who performed the surgery on the man, said he was not optimistic about the patient's survival. "In his case, the abdomen looked like an open book. I was not hopeful of his survival," the doctor told the media.
Liquid nitrogen, which is the liquefied form of nitrogen gas, has a boiling point of -195.8 Celsius degree and is widely used in gourmet cooking as it magically freezes anything it comes into contact with.
Many pubs in India have also started using liquid nitrogen to give the alcoholic drinks a smokey effect.
