Contingencies (Engle Class Action And Engle Progeny Trial Results) (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)						9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Oct. 24, 2011 Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] Engle Progeny Cases [Member]	Oct. 24, 2011 Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] Engle Progeny Cases [Member] State Court [Member]	Oct. 24, 2011 Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] Engle Progeny Cases [Member] Federal Court [Member]	Oct. 24, 2011 Engle Progeny Cases [Member] plaintiffs	Oct. 24, 2011 Engle Progeny Cases [Member] State Court [Member] plaintiffs	Sep. 30, 2011 Engle Progeny Cases [Member] Federal Court [Member] plaintiffs	Oct. 24, 2011 Engle Progeny Cases [Member] Federal Court [Member] plaintiffs	Sep. 30, 2011 Engle Progeny Cases [Member] Florida/Weingart [Member]	Oct. 24, 2011 Engle Progeny Cases [Member] Engle Progeny Trial Results [Member]	Mar. 31, 2001 Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] Florida/Engle [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] Florida/Engle [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] Florida/Engle [Member]	Dec. 31, 2001 Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] Florida/Engle [Member]	Dec. 31, 2006 Smoking And Health Class Actions And Aggregated Claims Litigation [Member] Florida/Engle [Member]	Oct. 24, 2011 State Court [Member]	Oct. 24, 2011 Federal Court [Member]
Loss contingency, period of occurrence								July 2011			July 2000
Punitive damages jury award total all defendants											$ 145,000,000,000
Punitive damages jury award allocation amount PM USA											74,000,000,000
Amounts placed in escrow													500,000,000
Loss contingency damages recorded excluding interest										500,000,000
Reinstated compensatory damages, award total														6,900,000
Loss contingency, damages paid												3,000,000
Loss contingency, pending claims	6,572	3,322	3,250												3,322	3,250
Number of plaintiffs				8,152	4,901		3,251
Engle progeny plaintiffs with cases stayed pending Eleventh Circuit Court Review						3,200
Active cases pending in Federal Court						11
Florida bond cap											$ 200,000,000
Number of verdicts returned since Florida Supreme Court Engle decision									26
Number of verdicts returned since Florida Supreme Court Engle decision, in favor of plaintiffs									13
Number of verdicts returned since Florida Supreme Court Engle decision, in favor of defendants									13