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Contingencies Contingencies (Federal Government Lawsuit) (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Jun. 30, 2014
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Litigation Settlement, Amount | $ 90,000,000 us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount | $ 664,000,000 us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, Provision | 44,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision | 22,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision | 5,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision |
Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, Provision |  | 0 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember | 0 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember |
Federal Governments Lawsuit [Member] |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, Provision | 31,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FederalGovernmentsLawsuitMember |  |  |
Federal Governments Lawsuit [Member] | Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Federal Government Original Complaint Date | 1999 |  |  |
Amount of alleged annual costs health care programs | 20,000,000,000 mo_AmountOfAllegedAnnualCostsHealthCarePrograms / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FederalGovernmentsLawsuitMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember |  |  |
Amount of disgorgement of profits requested in Federal Government lawsuit | 280,000,000,000 mo_AmountOfDisgorgementOfProfitsRequestedInFederalGovernmentLawsuit / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FederalGovernmentsLawsuitMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember |  |  |
Government Proposed Final Judgement Date | June 2005 |  |  |
Proposed final judgment | 14,000,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FederalGovernmentsLawsuitMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember |  |  |
Fund for 5-year national smoking cessation program | 10,000,000,000 mo_FundForNationalSmokingCessationProgram / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FederalGovernmentsLawsuitMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember |  |  |
Fund For 10-Year Public Education And Counter Marketing Campaign | 4,000,000,000 mo_FundForPublicEducationAndCounterMarketingCampaign / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FederalGovernmentsLawsuitMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember |  |  |
Loss contingency, period of occurrence | August 2006 |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, Provision |  |  |  | 31,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FederalGovernmentsLawsuitMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember
Document Repository Agreement date | December 2011 |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Amount Of District Court Deposit | $ 3,100,000 mo_LossContingencyAmountOfDistrictCourtDeposit / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FederalGovernmentsLawsuitMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember |  |  |
Loss Contingency Installment Period | 5 mo_LossContingencyInstallmentPeriod / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FederalGovernmentsLawsuitMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember |  |  |

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- Definition Amount of Annual Costs for Health Care programs alleged by Federal Government. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount of Disgorgement of Profits Requested By Federal Government. + References No definition available. + Details
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