Contingencies (Engle Class Action And Engle Progeny Trial Results) (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
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1 Months Ended |
12 Months Ended |
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May 31, 2001
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Dec. 31, 2014
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Jul. 31, 2006
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Dec. 31, 2013
cases
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Jan. 27, 2015
cases
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Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] | Florida Engle [Member] |
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Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
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Amounts placed in escrow |
$ 500,000,000us-gaap_IncreaseDecreaseInDepositOtherAssets / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |
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Reinstated compensatory damages, award total |
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6,900,000mo_ReinstatedCompensatoryAward / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |
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Loss contingency, damages paid |
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3,000,000us-gaap_LossContingencyAccrualCarryingValuePayments / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |
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Damages paid date |
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February 2008 |
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Florida bond cap |
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200,000,000mo_MaximumBondRequiredByAllDefendants / dei_LegalEntityAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |
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Engle Progeny Cases [Member] |
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Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
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Number of Cases Appealed |
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750mo_NumberofCasesAppealed / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember |
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Florida Engle [Member] | Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] |
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Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
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Loss contingency, period of occurrence |
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July 2000 |
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Punitive damages jury award total all defendants |
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145,000,000,000mo_PunitiveDamagesJuryAwardTotal / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |
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Punitive damages jury award allocation amount |
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$ 74,000,000,000mo_PunitiveDamagesJuryAwardAllocationAmount / us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis = mo_FloridaEngleMember / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_SmokingAndHealthClassActionsAndAggregatedClaimsLitigationMember |
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Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases [Member] | Since January 1999 [Member] |
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Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
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Number of verdicts returned |
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70mo_LossContingencyClaimsDecidedNumber / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_SinceJanuary1999Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Verdicts returned in favor of plaintiffs |
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36mo_LossContingencyClaimsDecidedUnfavorablyNumber / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_SinceJanuary1999Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Verdicts returned in favor of defendants |
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34mo_LossContingencyClaimsDecidedFavorablyNumber / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesMember / us-gaap_LossContingenciesByNatureOfContingencyAxis = mo_SinceJanuary1999Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, State [Member] |
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Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
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Loss contingency, pending claims |
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3,200mo_LossContingencyPendingClaimsNumberNotIncluded / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesStateMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Number of plaintiffs |
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4,200mo_NumberOfPlaintiffs / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesStateMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Subsequent Event [Member] | Engle Progeny Cases, Federal [Member] |
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Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
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Active cases pending in Federal Court |
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700mo_ActiveCasesPendingInFederalCourt / us-gaap_LitigationCaseAxis = mo_EngleProgenyCasesFederalMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |