Alcohol drink consumption could produce an imbalance between free radicals and physiological antioxidants (Zhou & Chen, 2001, Biomed Environ Sci), the aim of present study was evaluate the actual oxidative damage to lipids and DNA by alcohol consumption in young people between 18 to 23 years old.

The transversal study was made in two stages and involved two volunteer groups: The exposed group (young people who consume alcohol every weekend) and control group (young who have not consumed alcohol). In first stage, blood parameters and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) activity (Waladkhani et al., 1997, Alcohol & Alcoholism) were determined. In a second stage, lipoperoxidation, DNA damage and antioxidant glutation defense, parameters were evaluated by TBAR (Jain et al., 1989, Diabetes), comet assay (Collins, 2004, Mol Biotechnol. Mar) and Se-Glutathione Peroxidase (SeGPx) activity (Karabulut et al., 2006. Med Sci Monit), respectively.

The hematological parameters did not show neither abnormal values nor differences between groups; nevertheless, the activity of ADH was significantly increased in the population that ingest alcoholic beverages (P<0.05). The content of MDA and comet formation from blood cells in exposed group were significantly greater than those of the control group whereas the activity of SeGPx was diminished in the exposed group. In this work, the increase in product of the lipoperoxidation along with the damage to the DNA and reduction of antioxidant response confirms, that oxidative stress is an early effect of ethanol in young alcoholic people.