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Contingencies (Non-Engle Progeny Cases Trial Results) (Details) (Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member], USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Jan. 21, 2015
New York Mulholland [Member] |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |
Loss contingency, period of occurrence |  | July 2013 |
Compensatory damages jury award allocation amount | $ 5,500,000 mo_CompensatoryDamagesJuryAwardAllocationAmount / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_NewYorkMulhollandMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember | $ 5,500,000 mo_CompensatoryDamagesJuryAwardAllocationAmount / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_NewYorkMulhollandMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember |
Appeals bond posted by PM USA |  | 5,500,000 mo_AppealsBondPostedByAffiliate / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_NewYorkMulhollandMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember |
Loss Contingency Damages Recorded Costs And Interest | 5,000,000 mo_LossContingencyDamagesRecordedCostsAndInterest / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_NewYorkMulhollandMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember |  |
Loss Contingency Final Court Judgment Date |  | August 2013 |
Compensatory damages reduced award total | 4,900,000 mo_CompensatoryDamagesReducedAwardTotal / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_NewYorkMulhollandMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember | 4,900,000 mo_CompensatoryDamagesReducedAwardTotal / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_NewYorkMulhollandMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember |
New York Mulholland [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |
Loss contingency, damages paid |  |  | 5,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualCarryingValuePayments / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_NewYorkMulhollandMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Oregon Schwarz [Member] |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |
Loss contingency, period of occurrence |  | March 2002 |
Compensatory damages jury award total excluding interest | 168,500 mo_CompensatoryDamagesJuryAwardTotalExcludingInterest / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_OregonSchwarzMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember | 168,500 mo_CompensatoryDamagesJuryAwardTotalExcludingInterest / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_OregonSchwarzMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember |
Punitive damages jury award allocation amount | 150,000,000 mo_PunitiveDamagesJuryAwardAllocationAmount / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_OregonSchwarzMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember | 150,000,000 mo_PunitiveDamagesJuryAwardAllocationAmount / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_OregonSchwarzMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember |
Punitive Damages Award Date |  | February 2012 |
Retrial Punitive Damages Awarded | 25,000,000 mo_RetrialPunitiveDamagesAwarded / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_OregonSchwarzMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember | 25,000,000 mo_RetrialPunitiveDamagesAwarded / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_OregonSchwarzMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember |
Loss contingency, court reduction date |  | May 2002 |
Punitive damages reduced award total | 100,000,000 mo_PunitiveDamagesReducedAwardTotal / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_OregonSchwarzMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember | 100,000,000 mo_PunitiveDamagesReducedAwardTotal / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_OregonSchwarzMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember |
Date of Court Award of Costs to Defendant |  | December 2010 |
Court ordered costs returned to defendant |  | $ 500,000 mo_CourtOrderedCostsReturnedToDefendant / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_OregonSchwarzMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_IndividualSmokingAndHealthCasesMember |

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