Editor,—Because of the social status of religious professionals and their potential to influence Turkish society, we surveyed them in 1997 to determine their smoking rates. The names of all personnel working for the Mufti in Elazig province (population 510 000) were obtained, with all names being included in the study (n = 969). An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was sent to them. Responses were received from 366 (98.9%) of the 370 provincial centre employees, and from 424 (70.8%) of the 599 employees working in the districts and villages. Standard questions used in the classification of smoking status in the United States,1questions recommended by …