Contingencies MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified		1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	25 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	78 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			96 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Jul. 31, 2000 Engle Progeny Cases [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Engle Progeny Cases [Member] Liggett [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Engle Progency Cases Excluding Lukacs [Member] Liggett [Member] cases	Sep. 30, 2012 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member]	Apr. 16, 2012 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [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] states	Mar. 31, 1998 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett [Member] states	Sep. 30, 2012 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Vector Tobacco [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Master Settlement Agreement [Member]	Nov. 30, 1998 Master Settlement Agreement [Member] Liggett [Member] states	Dec. 31, 2003 NPM Adjustment [Member] courts	Sep. 30, 2012 NPM Adjustment [Member] states	Nov. 30, 2011 NPM Adjustment [Member] states	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]	Sep. 30, 2012 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett [Member]	Dec. 31, 2003 Minnesota Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member] years	Jun. 30, 2010 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Nov. 30, 2008 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2002 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Dec. 31, 2002 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Calloway v RJ Reynolds [Member] Liggett [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Minimum [Member] Engle Progency Cases Excluding Lukacs [Member] Liggett [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Minimum [Member] Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member] years	Sep. 30, 2012 Maximum [Member] Engle Progency Cases Excluding Lukacs [Member] Liggett [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Maximum [Member] Master Settlement Agreement [Member] sponsorships	Sep. 30, 2012 Maximum [Member] Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member] years
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of States								46	45
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%
Settlement payment		145,000,000	1,017				101,500												9,345	61,960				1,200			24,835	37,500	12,418	24,835	1,947	1		3,008
Payments for Legal Settlements						50,100
Payments for Legal Settlements, To Disputed Account						18,000
Settlement Amount Disputed						3,000
Noncurrent receivable																					6,542
Amounts not expensed by the Company														1,200,000			800	3,789	6,542
Aggregate number of settling states															49
Courts That Did Not Rule														1
Courts that decided the issue														48
Settling States														45	35
Allocable Share of Settling States														90.00%	80.00%
Reduction of any Potential 2003 NPM Adjustment															20.00%
Number of settling states with diligent enforcement not contested																16
Number of settling states with evidentiary hearings held															12
Maximum loss exposure			85,000	15,480																		37,500
Future MSA payments if method of calculation is changed																						2,500
Number of states not included in settlement agreement													4
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
Plaintiffs Verdicts				7
Punitive damages																															$ 7,600