Objective. To estimate the in vitro effect of ethanol on the function of oxygen transport in the blood of patients in a state of alcohol deprivation and in healthy donors.Materials and methods. We analyzed blood samples from 13 male patients aged 22–56 in a state of alcohol deprivation and 11 males aged 20-45 in whom this diagnosis was excluded. The blood was incubated with ethanol solution at a final concentration of 50 μmol/L. The parameters of the function of oxygen transport (р50, рО2, рСО2, рН, АВЕ, НСО3-, ТСО2,SВЕ, SBC) of the blood taken from the cubital vein using an ABL-330 “Radiometr” microgas analyzer were determined.Results. The patients in a state of alcohol deprivation reveal increased affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen, and their acid-base status of the blood becomes alkaline. When ethanol is added in vitro to the blood of patients, the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen decreases.Conclusion. Decreased affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen upon the in vitro addition of ethanol in the examined patients indicates compensatory and adaptive changes in the oxygen transport of the blood in response to chronic ethanol consumption.