Contingencies MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified		12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		25 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				96 Months Ended				12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Dec. 31, 2000 Engle Progeny Cases [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Engle Progeny Cases [Member] Liggett [Member] cases	Mar. 31, 2012 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member]	Mar. 31, 1998 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Subsidiaries [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Nov. 30, 1998 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Vector Tobacco [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Master Settlement Agreement [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 NPM Adjustment [Member] claims	Dec. 31, 2003 NPM Adjustment [Member] courts	Dec. 31, 2005 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Dec. 31, 2004 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Dec. 31, 2003 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett [Member]	Oct. 31, 2004 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett [Member]	Dec. 31, 2003 Minnesota Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member] years	Jun. 30, 2010 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Nov. 30, 2008 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2002 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Dec. 31, 2002 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member] years	Mar. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Master Settlement Agreement [Member] sponsorships	Mar. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member] years	Apr. 16, 2012 Settlement of Litigation [Member] Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Settlements of litigation			78		45		46
Number of brand name sponsorships allowed																														1
Brand Name Sponsorship Period										12 months
Annual payment requirement				$ 9,000,000		$ 154,600														$ 100	$ 250
Payment obligations								1.65%	0.28%
Total cigarettes sold	3.80%
Payments for Legal Settlements						101,500																										50,100
Payments for Legal Settlements, To Disputed Account																																18,000
Settlement Amount Disputed																																3,000
Settlement payment		145,000,000	998												9,345	61,960					1,200				24,835	12,418	37,500	24,835
Noncurrent receivable																	6,542
Amounts not expensed by the Company												1,200,000	800	3,789	6,542
Litigation filed			39								49
Courts That Did Not Rule												1
Courts that decided the issue												48
Court Decisions That Are Final												47
Settling States												45
Allocable Share of Settling States											80.00%	90.00%
Reduction of any Potential 2003 NPM Adjustment											20.00%
Minimum loss exposure																			10,200
Maximum loss exposure																		35,000
Future MSA payments if method of calculation is changed																			2,500
Years Annual Payments Required																							21
Years Annual Payments Required That Are Subject To Inflation Adjustment																													12		21
Accrued expense for this matter																						3,200
Portion responsible for Damages																												50.00%
Litigation Award Paid																								$ 14,361