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Contingencies (Engle Class Action And Engle Progeny Trial Results) (Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
May 31, 2001 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Jul. 31, 2006 | Dec. 31, 2013 cases | Jan. 27, 2015 cases
Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] | Florida Engle [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Amounts placed in escrow | $ 500,000,000 us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInDepositOtherAssets / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |  |  |  |
Reinstated compensatory damages, award total |  |  | 6,900,000 mo_ReinstatedCompensatoryAward / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |  |
Loss contingency, damages paid |  | 3,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualCarryingValuePayments / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |  |  |
Damages paid date |  | February 2008 |  |  |
Florida bond cap |  | 200,000,000 mo_MaximumBondRequiredByAllDefendants / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |  |  |
Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Number of Cases Appealed |  |  |  | 750 mo_NumberofCasesAppealed / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember |
Florida Engle [Member] | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, period of occurrence |  | July 2000 |  |  |
Punitive damages jury award total all defendants |  | 145,000,000,000 mo_PunitiveDamagesJuryAwardTotal / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |  |  |
Punitive damages jury award allocation amount |  | $ 74,000,000,000 mo_PunitiveDamagesJuryAwardAllocationAmount / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | Since January 1999 [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Number of verdicts returned |  |  |  |  | 70 mo_LossContingencyClaimsDecidedNumber / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_SinceJanuary1999Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Verdicts returned in favor of plaintiffs |  |  |  |  | 36 mo_LossContingencyClaimsDecidedUnfavorablyNumber / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_SinceJanuary1999Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Verdicts returned in favor of defendants |  |  |  |  | 34 mo_LossContingencyClaimsDecidedFavorablyNumber / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_SinceJanuary1999Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, State [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, pending claims |  |  |  |  | 3,200 mo_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumberNotIncluded / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesStateMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Number of plaintiffs |  |  |  |  | 4,200 mo_NumberOfPlaintiffs / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesStateMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Active cases pending in Federal Court |  |  |  |  | 700 mo_ActiveCasesPendingInFederalCourt / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesFederalMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember

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