Contingencies Individual Actions (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended												1 Months Ended	2 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	1 Months Ended			6 Months Ended								1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012 Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 West Virginia State Court Cases [Member] Liggett [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 FLORIDA Liggett [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 NEW YORK Liggett [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 LOUISIANA Liggett [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 MARYLAND Liggett [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 WEST VIRGINIA Liggett [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 MISSOURI Liggett [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 OHIO Liggett [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 Liggett Only Cases [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 Injury From Cigarette Smoking, Addiction or Exposure to Secondary Smoke [Member] Liggett [Member] cases	Sep. 30, 2010 Ferlanti v Liggett Group [Member] Liggett [Member]	Feb. 28, 2009 Ferlanti v Liggett Group [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Ferlanti v Liggett Group [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jul. 31, 2000 Engle Progeny Cases [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Engle Progeny Cases [Member] Liggett [Member] cases plaintiffs	Jun. 30, 2012 Federal Cases [Member] Liggett [Member] verdict cases judges	Jun. 30, 2012 State Cases [Member] Liggett [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 Engle Progency Cases Excluding Lukacs [Member] Liggett [Member] cases	Mar. 31, 2010 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Nov. 30, 2008 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2002 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Campbell v R J Reynolds [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Douglas v R J Reynolds [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Clay v R J Reynolds [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Putney v R J Reynolds [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Tullo v R J Reynolds [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Ward v R J Reynolds [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Calloway v RJ Reynolds [Member] Liggett [Member]	Aug. 31, 2011 Engle Case Class Action [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 Engle Case Class Action [Member] cases	Dec. 31, 2010 Engle Case Class Action [Member] cases	May 31, 2003 Engle Case Class Action [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jul. 31, 2000 Engle Case Class Action [Member] Liggett [Member]	Apr. 30, 2000 Engle Case Class Action [Member] Liggett [Member]	Aug. 31, 2011 Engle Case Class Action [Member] Liggett [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 Minimum [Member] Engle Progency Cases Excluding Lukacs [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Maximum [Member] Engle Progency Cases Excluding Lukacs [Member] Liggett [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases pending			100	47	8	3	3	2	1	1	8	65					5,649	2,642	3,007													22	20					12
Settlements of litigation																	82			12
Plaintiffs Verdicts																				7
Defense Verdicts																				5
Damages awarded														$ 816		$ 145,000,000	$ 1,002					$ 24,835	$ 37,500	$ 12,418	$ 156	$ 1,350	$ 349	$ 3,008	$ 225	$ 1	$ 1,947					$ 790,000	$ 12,704		$ 1	$ 3,008
Minimum loss exposure																	69,000			0
Maximum loss exposure																	85,000			15,967
Punitive damages																											1,000				7,600
Number Of Cases Gone To Trial To Date																	66
Loss Contingency Over Turned Judgment																																			5,831
Plaintiffs																	6,912
Loss Contingency, Judgment Entered, Value																														487
Period Between Trial And Final Verdict																								5 years
Percent Responsible for Damages Incurred by Plaintiff																							50.00%
Gain (Loss) Related to Litigation Settlement																					(14,361)
Number of judges ruling																		3
Ruling certified for interlocutory review																		2
Stays lifted																																		12
Stayed Cases																																		2
Number of claims subsequently deactivated																																1
Number of claims voluntarily dismissed																																1
Plaintiff legal fees	4,030	3,718											996
Previously accrued expense															$ 2,000
Litigation filed																	31