  We study charge fluctuations within the statistical hadronization model.
Considering both the particle yield ratios and the charge fluctuations we show
that it is possible to differentiate between chemical equilibrium and
non-equilibrium freeze-out conditions. As an example of the procedure we show
quantitatively how the relative yield ratio $\Lambda/K^-$ together with the
normalized net charge fluctuation $v(Q)=\ave{\Delta Q^2}/\ave{\Nch}$ constrain
the chemical conditions at freeze-out. We also discuss the influence of the
limited detector acceptance on fluctuation measurements, and show how this can
be accounted for within a quantitative analysis.
