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Contingencies (NPM Adjustment Calculation Narrative) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2015 state
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Partial Liability Reduction Percentage for 2003 N P M Adjustment for States that Are Party to Agreement re: Arbitration | 20.00%mo_PartialLiabilityReductionPercentageFor2003NPMAdjustmentForStatesThatArePartyToAgreementReArbitration
Challenges To MSA Found In Favor Of Defendants | 16 mo_ChallangesToMsaFoundInFavorOfDefendants
States Not Diligently Enforcing Escrow Statutes | 6 mo_StatesNotDiligentlyEnforcingEscrowStatutes
Year NPM Adjustment Calculated 2013 [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Affiliates Possible Excess MSA Payments | 219 mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments / mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis = mo_YearNPMAdjustmentCalculated2013Member
Year NPM Adjustment Calculated 2012 [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Affiliates Possible Excess MSA Payments | 211 mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments / mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis = mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2012Member
Year Npm Adjustment Calculated 2011 [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Affiliates Possible Excess MSA Payments | 166 mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments / mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis = mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2011Member
Year Npm Adjustment Calculated 2010 [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Affiliates Possible Excess MSA Payments | 218 mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments / mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis = mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2010Member
Year NPM Adjustment Calculated 2009 [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Affiliates Possible Excess MSA Payments | 211 mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments / mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis = mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2009Member
Year Npm Adjustment Calculated 2008 [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Affiliates Possible Excess MSA Payments | 250 mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments / mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis = mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2008Member
Year Npm Adjustment Calculated 2007 [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Affiliates Possible Excess MSA Payments | 185 mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments / mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis = mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2007Member
Year Npm Adjustment Calculated 2006 [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Affiliates Possible Excess MSA Payments | 154 mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments / mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis = mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2006Member
Year Npm Adjustment Calculated 2005 [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Affiliates Possible Excess MSA Payments | 181 mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments / mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis = mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2005Member
Year Npm Adjustment Calculated 2004 [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Affiliates Possible Excess MSA Payments | 388 mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments / mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis = mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2004Member
Year NPM Adjustment Calculated 2014 [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Affiliates Possible Excess MSA Payments | 247 mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments / mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis = mo_YearNPMAdjustmentCalculated2014Member
Non-Participating Manufacturer Arbitration Panel Decision [Member] |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Number of Contested States and Territories to the 2003 Diligent Enforcement Claims | 35 mo_NumberofContestedStatesandTerritoriestothe2003DiligentEnforcementClaims / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_NonParticipatingManufacturerArbitrationPanelDecisionMember

X
- Definition Amount of possible excess MSA payments made by affiliate. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_AffiliatesPossibleExcessMsaPayments
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type: | debit
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Challanges To MSA Found In Favor Of Defendants + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_ChallangesToMsaFoundInFavorOfDefendants
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

X
- Definition Number of Contested States and Territories to the 2003 diligent enforcement claims + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_NumberofContestedStatesandTerritoriestothe2003DiligentEnforcementClaims
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Partial Liability Reduction Percentage for 2003 NPM Adjustment for States that Are Party to Agreement re: Arbitration + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_PartialLiabilityReductionPercentageFor2003NPMAdjustmentForStatesThatArePartyToAgreementReArbitration
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition States Not Diligently Enforcing Escrow Statutes to the MSA for non-participating manufacturers + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mo_StatesNotDiligentlyEnforcingEscrowStatutes
Namespace Prefix: | mo_
Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
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Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
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Period Type: | duration

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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
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X
- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis=mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2007Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis=mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2008Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis=mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2009Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis=mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2010Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis=mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2011Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis=mo_YearNpmAdjustmentCalculated2012Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | mo_NPMCalculatedAdjustmentbyYearAxis=mo_YearNPMAdjustmentCalculated2013Member
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |