Contingencies (Engle Progeny Cases and Settlement) (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended						3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2015	Oct. 31, 2013 USD ($) case	May 31, 2003 USD ($) plaintiff	Jul. 31, 2000 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2000 USD ($)	Jul. 31, 1999 plaintiff	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) case	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) case	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Litigation settlement and judgment expense							$ 0	$ 1,250	$ 2,350	$ 2,093
Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs | plaintiff						3
Compensatory damages awarded					$ 12,704
Punitive damages awarded				$ 145,000,000
Number of favorable plaintiff verdicts | plaintiff			1
Damages awarded and subsequently overturned			$ 5,831
Number of unfavorable plaintiff verdicts | plaintiff			2
Liggett | Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Punitive damages awarded				$ 790,000
Cases settled | case		4,900
Litigation settlement amount paid in lump sum		$ 61,600
Litigation settlement, installment term	14 years
Cases settled and dismissed | case		4,900
Litigation settlement and judgment expense											$ 86,213
Litigation settlement and judgment expense, amount discounted											$ 25,213
Discount rate		11.00%
Litigation settlement amount paid in installment payments		$ 48,000
Litigation settlement amount of estimated future payments per annum		$ 3,400
Cases pending | case							245		245
Liggett | Lukacs, Campbell, Douglas, Clay, Tullo, Ward Rizzuto, Lambert and Buchanan
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Payments for legal settlements									$ 39,773