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Contingencies (Other Matters) (Details) (USD $) | 12 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 74 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Nov. 30, 2012 | Sep. 18, 2014 | Jul. 03, 2014 | Jan. 27, 2015
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Settlement, Amount | $ 90,000,000 us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount | $ 664,000,000 us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount |  |  |  |
Tobacco Price Cases | 1 mo_TobaccoPriceCases |  |  |  |  |
Israel |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Attorney Fees Ordered Paid to Defendents by Court |  |  | 100,000 mo_AttorneyFeesOrderedPaidToDefendentsByCourt / us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis = country_IL |  |  |
Lights/Multi District Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Additional class action certifications denied, reversed, dismissed or resolved | 4 mo_AdditionalClassActionCertificationDeniedReversedDismissedOrResolved / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_LightsMultiDistrictLitigationMember |  |  |  |  |
Lights/Multi District Litigation [Member] | Wyatt [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Settlement, Amount |  |  |  | 1,000 us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_WyattMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_LightsMultiDistrictLitigationMember |  |
Lights [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Additional class action certifications denied, reversed, dismissed or resolved | 19 mo_AdditionalClassActionCertificationDeniedReversedDismissedOrResolved / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_LightsMember |  |  |  |  |
Cases Voluntarily Dismissed | 13 mo_CasesVoluntarilyDismissed / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_LightsMember |  |  |  |  |
Lights/Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member] | Phillips [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Settlement, Amount |  |  |  |  | 6,000 us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_PhillipsMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_LightsUltraLightsClassActionsMember |
Lights/Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member] | Illinois Price [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, period of occurrence | March 2003 |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Date of Dismissal | Dec. 31, 2006 |  |  |  |  |
Lights/Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member] | Illinois Price [Member] | Lights/Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Compensatory Damages | 7,100,000,000 mo_LossContingencyDamagesAwardedCompensatoryDamages / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_IllinoisPriceMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_LightsUltraLightsClassActionsMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_LightsUltraLightsClassActionsMember |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Punitive Damages | $ 3,000,000,000 mo_LossContingencyDamagesAwardedPunitiveDamages / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_IllinoisPriceMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_LightsUltraLightsClassActionsMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_LightsUltraLightsClassActionsMember |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Lights Ultra Lights Class Certification Cases Pending in United States |  |  |  |  |  | 12 mo_LightsUltraLightsClassCertificationCasesPendingInUnitedStates / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Subsequent Event [Member] | Lights [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Purported number of class action lawsuits served |  |  |  |  |  | 26 mo_PurportedNumberOfClassActionLawsuitsServed / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_LightsMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember

X
- Definition Additional Lights cases outside of the MDL proceeding that have been dismissed, not certified as class actions or ordered de-certified; or judgment entered in favor of PM USA by various courts. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Lights Ultra Lights Class Certification Cases Pending in United States + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Loss Contingency, Damages Awarded, Punitive Damages + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of purported lights cigarettes class action lawsuits served on PM USA and Altria + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Tobacco Price Cases + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount of judgment or settlement awarded to (against) the entity in respect of litigation. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Details
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- Definition Date the pending litigation matter was dismissed, in CCYY-MM-DD format. + References No definition available. + Details
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- 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
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- Details
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