Contingencies Contingencies Litigation Accrual Rollforward (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Payments due under Master Settlement Agreement, Current	$ 26,322	$ 25,348
Payments due under Master Settlement Agreement, Non-Current	25,809	27,571
Litigation Accruals, Non-Current	25,700vgr_LitigationAccrualsNonCurrent	27,058vgr_LitigationAccrualsNonCurrent
Current Liabilities [Member]
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Litigation Accruals, Current	84,658	34,440
Total, Current	84,658
Expenses	120,918	180,377
NPM Settlement adjustment	0	(3,928)
Change in MSA obligations capitalized as inventory	(1,095)	1,611
Payments	(179,221)	(135,390)
Reclassification to non-current liabilities	3,918	7,153
Interest on withholding	293	395
Litigation Accruals, Current		84,658
Total, Current	29,471	84,658
Current Liabilities [Member] \| Pending Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Litigation Accruals, Current	59,310	1,470
Expenses	2,849	63,292
NPM Settlement adjustment	0	0
Change in MSA obligations capitalized as inventory	0	0
Payments	(62,878)	(6,070)
Reclassification to non-current liabilities	3,575	223
Interest on withholding	293	395
Litigation Accruals, Current	3,149	59,310
Current Liabilities [Member] \| Master Settlement Agreement [Member]
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Payments due under Master Settlement Agreement, Current	25,348	32,970
Expenses	118,069	117,085
NPM Settlement adjustment	0	(3,928)
Change in MSA obligations capitalized as inventory	(1,095)	1,611
Payments	(116,343)	(129,320)
Reclassification to non-current liabilities	343	6,930
Interest on withholding	0	0
Payments due under Master Settlement Agreement, Current	26,322	25,348
Non-Current Liabilities [Member]
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Total, Non-Current	54,629	54,501
Expenses	0	25,218
NPM Settlement adjustment	(1,419)	(18,138)
Change in MSA obligations capitalized as inventory	0	0
Payments	0	0
Reclassification to non-current liabilities	(3,918)	(7,153)
Interest on withholding	2,217	201
Total, Non-Current	51,509	54,629
Non-Current Liabilities [Member] \| Pending Litigation [Member]
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Litigation Accruals, Non-Current	27,058	1,862
Expenses	0	25,218
NPM Settlement adjustment	0	0
Change in MSA obligations capitalized as inventory	0	0
Payments	0	0
Reclassification to non-current liabilities	(3,575)	(223)
Interest on withholding	2,217	201
Litigation Accruals, Non-Current	25,700	27,058
Non-Current Liabilities [Member] \| Master Settlement Agreement [Member]
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Payments due under Master Settlement Agreement, Non-Current	27,571	52,639
Expenses	0	0
NPM Settlement adjustment	(1,419)	(18,138)
Change in MSA obligations capitalized as inventory	0	0
Payments	0	0
Reclassification to non-current liabilities	(343)	(6,930)
Interest on withholding	0	0
Payments due under Master Settlement Agreement, Non-Current	$ 25,809	$ 27,571

Amount of payments made reducing loss contingency liability.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 450

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=25496072&loc=d3e14326-108349

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