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Contingencies (Engle Class Action And Engle Progeny Trial Results Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 106 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014 | May 31, 2001 | Apr. 20, 2015 cases | Jul. 31, 2006
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, Provision | $ 43,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision | $ 4,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision |  |  |
Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, Provision | 43,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesFederalMember | 0 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesFederalMember |  |  |
Florida Engle [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Amounts placed in escrow | 43,000,000 us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInDepositOtherAssets / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesFederalMember |  |  |  |
Federal Engle Cases Resolved | 415 mo_FederalEngleCasesResolved / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesFederalMember |  |  |  |
Florida Engle [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member] | PM USA [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, Provision | 43,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_PhilipMorrisUSAMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesFederalMember |  |  |  |
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 |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, 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 |  |  |  |
Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | Florida/Harris [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Compensatory damages jury award total excluding interest | 1,730,000 mo_CompensatoryDamagesJuryAwardTotalExcludingInterest / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaHarrisMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, period of occurrence | July 2014 |  |  |  |
Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | Florida/Reider [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Compensatory damages jury award total excluding interest | 0 mo_CompensatoryDamagesJuryAwardTotalExcludingInterest / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaReiderMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember |  |  |  |
Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | Florida/Banks [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Compensatory damages jury award total excluding interest | 0 mo_CompensatoryDamagesJuryAwardTotalExcludingInterest / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaBanksMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember |  |  |  |
Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | Florida Weingart [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Compensatory damages jury award total excluding interest | 0 mo_CompensatoryDamagesJuryAwardTotalExcludingInterest / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaWeingartMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember |  |  |  |
Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | Florida Hancock [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Compensatory damages jury award total excluding interest | 0 mo_CompensatoryDamagesJuryAwardTotalExcludingInterest / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaHancockMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, period of occurrence | August 2012 |  |  |  |
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 PM USA | $ 74,000,000,000 mo_PunitiveDamagesJuryAwardAllocationAmount / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, State [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Number of plaintiffs |  |  |  | 4,200 mo_NumberOfPlaintiffs / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesStateMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Loss contingency, pending claims |  |  |  | 3,125 mo_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumberNotIncluded / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesStateMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, State [Member] | Since July 2006 [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Claims Decided Favorable, Number |  |  |  | 27 mo_LossContingencyClaimsDecidedFavorableNumber / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesStateMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_SinceJuly2006Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Active Cases Pending In Federal Court |  |  |  | 435 mo_ActiveCasesPendingInFederalCourt / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesFederalMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member] | Since July 2006 [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Claims Decided Favorable, Number |  |  |  | 9 mo_LossContingencyClaimsDecidedFavorableNumber / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesFederalMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_SinceJuly2006Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | Since July 2006 [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Claims Decided Favorable, Number |  |  |  | 36 mo_LossContingencyClaimsDecidedFavorableNumber / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_SinceJuly2006Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |

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