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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 | 159 Months Ended | 228 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Jan. 29, 2018 case | May 31, 2001 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) case | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case | Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) case | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) case | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) case
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $ |  |  | $ 9 | $ 6 | $ 13 |  |
Health Care Cost Recovery Actions [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending |  |  | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1
Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending |  |  | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4
Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Judgments paid | $ |  |  |  |  |  | $ 99 |
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $ |  |  |  |  |  | $ 22 |
Individual Smoking And Health Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending |  |  | 92 | 70 | 65 | 92 | 92
Tobacco and Health Judgment [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Judgments paid | $ |  |  |  |  |  | $ 490 |
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $ |  |  |  |  |  | 184 |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amounts placed in escrow | $ |  | $ 500 |  |  |  |  |
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of verdicts returned |  |  |  |  |  |  | 63
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 42
Number of unfavorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 21
Number of claims resolved |  |  |  |  |  |  | 18
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] | Alaska [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | California [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Connecticut [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Florida [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10
Number cases with granted new trial |  |  | 1 |  |  | 1 | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Louisiana [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Massachusetts [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Mississippi [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Missouri [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4
Philip Morris USA [Member] | New Hampshire [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | New Jersey [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | New York [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Ohio [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Pennsylvania [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Rhode Island [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1
Philip Morris USA [Member] | Tennessee [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2
Philip Morris USA [Member] | West Virginia [Member] | Non Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases set for trial | 3 |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of verdicts returned | 116 |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of favorable verdicts | 45 |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of unfavorable verdicts | 61 |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, unfavorable verdicts pending/reversed | 8 |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingency, verdict reversed, number | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |
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] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of cases pending | 12 |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Philip Morris USA [Member] | Canada [Member] | 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 [Member] | 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 [Member] | 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 | $ |  |  | $ 61 |  |  | $ 61 | $ 61
Lights Ultra Lights Class Actions, Aspinall [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation settlement interest expense (income) | $ |  |  | $ 10 |  |  |  |

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