XML 54 R65.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v2.4.0.8

Contingencies (Federal Government's Lawsuit Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2013 | Sep. 30, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2013 | Jun. 30, 2014 Federal Government's Lawsuit [Member] Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation [Member] | Sep. 30, 2014 Federal Government's Lawsuit [Member] Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Federal Government Original Complaint Date |  |  |  |  |  | 1999
Loss contingency, period of occurrence |  |  |  |  |  | August 2006
Loss Contingency Accrual, Provision | $ 4,000,000 | $ 16,000,000 | $ 39,000,000 | $ 22,000,000 | $ 31,000,000 | $ 31,000,000
Amount of alleged annual costs health care programs, minimum |  |  |  |  |  | 20,000,000,000
Amount of disgorgement of profits requested in Federal Government lawsuit |  |  |  |  |  | 280,000,000,000
Government Proposed Final Judgment Date |  |  |  |  |  | June 2005
Loss Contingency, Damages Sought, Value |  |  |  |  |  | 14,000,000,000
Fund for five-year national smoking cessation program |  |  |  |  |  | 10,000,000,000
Fund for ten-year public education and counter-marketing campaign |  |  |  |  |  | 4,000,000,000
Document Repository Agreement date |  |  |  |  |  | December 2011
Loss contingency, amount of district court deposit |  |  |  |  |  | $ 3,100,000
Loss contingency installment period, years |  |  |  |  |  | 5

X
- Definition Amount of Annual Costs for Health Care programs alleged by Federal Government. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_AmountOfAllegedAnnualCostsHealthCarePrograms
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount of Disgorgement of Profits Requested By Federal Government. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_AmountOfDisgorgementOfProfitsRequestedInFederalGovernmentLawsuit
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Document Repository Agreement date + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_DocumentRepositoryAgreementDate
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Federal Government Original Complaint Date + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_FederalGovernmentOriginalComplaintDate
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Fund For National Smoking Cessation Program Proposed by Federal Government. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_FundForNationalSmokingCessationProgram
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Fund For Public Education And Counter Marketing Campaign Proposed by Federal Government. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_FundForPublicEducationAndCounterMarketingCampaign
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Government Proposed Final Judgement Date + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_GovernmentProposedFinalJudgementDate
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Loss contingency, amount of district court deposit. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_LossContingencyAmountOfDistrictCourtDeposit
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | credit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Loss Contingency Installment Period + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_LossContingencyInstallmentPeriod
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | xbrli:positiveIntegerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingenciesLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Amount charged against operating income increasing loss contingency liability, after adjustments to reduce previously estimated charges. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition The value (monetary amount) of the award the plaintiff seeks in the legal matter. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14557-108349 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition States when the existing condition, situation, or set of circumstances involving uncertainty occurred. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14435-108349 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14557-108349 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_LossContingencyPeriodOfOccurrence
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration