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Contingencies (Overview of Altria Group, Inc. and/or PM USA Tobacco-Related Litigation Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions |  | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 147 Months Ended | 216 Months Ended | 248 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Jan. 27, 2017 case | May 31, 2001 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) case | Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) case | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $ |  |  | $ 6 | $ 13 | $ (47) |  |  |
Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending |  |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1
Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending |  |  | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5
Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Judgments paid | $ |  |  |  |  |  | $ 82 |  |
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $ |  |  |  |  |  | $ 21 |  |
Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending |  |  | 70 | 65 | 67 | 70 | 70 | 70
Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending |  |  | 8 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8
Tobacco and Health Judgment [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Judgments paid | $ |  |  |  |  |  | $ 473 |  |
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $ |  |  |  |  |  | 183 |  |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of claims dismissed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 60
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amounts placed in escrow | $ |  | $ 500 |  |  |  |  |  |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of claims resolved |  |  |  | 415 |  |  |  |
Amounts placed in escrow | $ |  |  |  | $ 43 |  | $ 43 |  |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of verdicts returned |  |  |  |  |  |  | 61 |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 41 |
Number of unfavorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20 |
Number of claims resolved |  |  |  |  |  |  | 18 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | ALASKA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | CALIFORNIA | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of claims dismissed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | CALIFORNIA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | FLORIDA | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of claims dismissed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | FLORIDA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10 |
Number cases with granted new trial |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 | 1 | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | LOUISIANA | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of claims dismissed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | LOUISIANA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | MASSACHUSETTS | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | MISSISSIPPI | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | MISSOURI | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | NEW HAMPSHIRE | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | NEW JERSEY | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of claims dismissed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6
Philip Morris USA [Member] | NEW JERSEY | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | NEW YORK | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of claims dismissed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | NEW YORK | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | OHIO | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of claims dismissed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | OHIO | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | PENNSYLVANIA | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of claims dismissed |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | PENNSYLVANIA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | RHODE ISLAND | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | TENNESSEE | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | WEST VIRGINIA | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending | 8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending | 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases set for trial | 9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of verdicts returned | 105 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts | 44 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of unfavorable verdicts | 58 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending | 14 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts | 9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases set for trial | 0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases set for trial | 0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | CANADA | Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending | 10 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA and Altria Group [Member] | CANADA | Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending | 8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA and Altria Group [Member] | CANADA | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending | 7 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Pending Litigation [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Other Assets [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Security posted for appeal of judgments | $ |  |  | $ 82 |  |  | $ 82 | $ 82 | $ 82
Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions, Aspinall [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $ |  |  | $ 10 |  |  |  |  |

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