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Contingencies (Federal Government's Lawsuit Narrative) (Details) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014 | Jun. 30, 2014
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |
Loss Contingency Accrual, Provision | $ 43,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision | $ 4,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualProvision |
Federal Governments Lawsuit [Member] | Health Care Cost Recovery Litigation [Member] |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |
Federal Government Original Complaint Date | 1999 |  |
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
Amount of alleged annual costs health care programs, minimum | 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 Judgment Date | June 2005 |  |
Loss Contingency, Damages Sought, Value | 14,000,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FederalGovernmentsLawsuitMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember |  |
Fund for five-year national smoking cessation program | 10,000,000,000 mo_FundForNationalSmokingCessationProgram / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FederalGovernmentsLawsuitMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_HealthCareCostRecoveryLitigationMember |  |
Fund for ten-year public education and counter-marketing campaign | 4,000,000,000 mo_FundForPublicEducationAndCounterMarketingCampaign / 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, years | 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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- Definition Federal Government Original Complaint Date + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Fund For National Smoking Cessation Program Proposed by Federal Government. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Fund For Public Education And Counter Marketing Campaign Proposed by Federal Government. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Government Proposed Final Judgement Date + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Loss contingency, amount of district court deposit. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount charged against operating income increasing loss contingency liability, after adjustments to reduce previously estimated charges. + 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 + Details
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- Definition The value (monetary amount) of the award the plaintiff seeks in the legal matter. + 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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- 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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