Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Statements Of Earnings And Comprehensive Earnings) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	$ 6,242	$ 6,108	$ 18,376	$ 17,671
Cost of sales	1,982	1,883	5,860	5,708
Excise taxes on products	1,776	1,780	5,336	5,398
Gross profit	2,484	2,445	7,180	6,565
Marketing, administration and research costs	548	581	1,678	1,853
Changes to Mondelez and PMI tax related receivables	(48)	(19)	(48)	(19)
Asset impairment and exit costs	10	0	47	3
Amortization of intangibles	5	5	15	16
Operating (expense) income	1,969	1,878	5,488	4,712
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	282	293	868	865
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	874	0	874	0
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	(230)	(208)	(973)	(552)
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,043	1,793	4,719	4,399
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	386	619	1,641	1,843
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	657	1,174	3,078	2,556
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	(1)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	657	1,173	3,077	2,554
Net earnings	657	1,174	3,078	2,556
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	70	(182)	283	23	(403)
Comprehensive earnings	727	992	3,361	2,579
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	(1)	(1)	(2)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	727	991	3,360	2,577
Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Excise taxes on products	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	61	49	148	133
Changes to Mondelez and PMI tax related receivables	(48)	(19)	(48)	(19)
Asset impairment and exit costs	1		1	0
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Operating (expense) income	(14)	(30)	(101)	(114)
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	181	177	548	517
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	874		874
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	(230)	(208)	(973)	(552)
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	(839)	1	(550)	(79)
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	(295)	(51)	(240)	(122)
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,201	1,121	3,387	2,511
Net earnings	657	1,173	3,077	2,554
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	657	1,173	3,077	2,554
Net earnings	657	1,173	3,077	2,554
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	70	(182)	283	23
Comprehensive earnings	727	991	3,360	2,577
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	727	991	3,360	2,577
PM USA [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	5,444	5,311	16,090	16,009
Cost of sales	1,763	1,684	5,238	5,139
Excise taxes on products	1,706	1,687	5,117	5,139
Gross profit	1,975	1,940	5,735	5,731
Marketing, administration and research costs	464	499	1,382	1,551
Changes to Mondelez and PMI tax related receivables	0	0	0	0
Asset impairment and exit costs	9		45	3
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Operating (expense) income	1,502	1,441	4,308	4,177
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	(1)	1	(2)	5
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	1,503	1,440	4,310	4,172
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	527	553	1,567	1,569
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	56	49	163	116
Net earnings	1,032	936	2,906	2,719
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,032	936	2,906	2,719
Net earnings	1,032	936	2,906	2,719
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	4	5	10	12
Comprehensive earnings	1,036	941	2,916	2,731
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	1,036	941	2,916	2,731
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	804	804	2,304	1,681
Cost of sales	225	206	640	588
Excise taxes on products	70	93	219	259
Gross profit	509	505	1,445	834
Marketing, administration and research costs	23	33	148	169
Changes to Mondelez and PMI tax related receivables	0	0	0	0
Asset impairment and exit costs	0		1	0
Amortization of intangibles	5	5	15	16
Operating (expense) income	481	467	1,281	649
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	102	115	322	343
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	379	352	959	306
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	154	117	314	396
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net earnings	225	235	645	(90)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	(1)	(1)	(2)
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	225	234	644	(92)
Net earnings	225	235	645	(90)
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	31	27	82	80
Comprehensive earnings	256	262	727	(10)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	(1)	(1)	(2)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	256	261	726	(12)
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net revenues	(6)	(7)	(18)	(19)
Cost of sales	(6)	(7)	(18)	(19)
Excise taxes on products	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Marketing, administration and research costs	0	0	0	0
Changes to Mondelez and PMI tax related receivables	0		0	0
Asset impairment and exit costs	0		0	0
Amortization of intangibles	0	0	0	0
Operating (expense) income	0	0	0	0
Interest and other debt expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		0
Earnings from equity investment in SABMiller	0	0	0	0
(Loss) earnings before income taxes and equity earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
(Benefit) provision for income taxes	0	0	0	0
Equity earnings of subsidiaries	(1,257)	(1,170)	(3,550)	(2,627)
Net earnings	(1,257)	(1,170)	(3,550)	(2,627)
Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	(1,257)	(1,170)	(3,550)	(2,627)
Net earnings	(1,257)	(1,170)	(3,550)	(2,627)
Other comprehensive earnings, net of deferred income taxes	(35)	(32)	(92)	(92)
Comprehensive earnings	(1,292)	(1,202)	(3,642)	(2,719)
Comprehensive earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Comprehensive earnings attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	$ (1,292)	$ (1,202)	$ (3,642)	$ (2,719)