The uncontrolled sales and the relatively cheap price of local gin (ogogoro) in Nigeria have increased its consumption among the populace. The liver being the chief metabolizing organ of alcohol is greatly at risk. This study was carried out to determine the serum activities of the aminotransferases (ALT and AST) in sixty (60) ogogoro consumers and forty (40) apparently healthy non alcoholic beverages consumers as controls. The serum activities of ALT and AST were determined using standard method. The results obtained showed that the mean serum activities of AST, ALT and AST/ALT ratio in ogogoro consumers were significantly increased when compared with control. Also the mean serum activities of AST, ALT and AST/ALT ratio in ogogoro consumers of above ten (10) years duration were significantly increased when compared with control. The study therefore concluded that local gin (ogogoro) has a lethal effect on the liver cells and that the duration of alcohol consumption is a major determinant of the degree of alcoholic liver disease, which can be monitored through the AST/ALT ratio (with a value greater than 2.0 as an indicator).
