UST Acquisition (Schedule Of Fair Value Of Identifiable Assets And Liabilities In UST Acquisition) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2009	Jan. 06, 2009
UST Acquisition [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 163
Inventories	796
Property, plant and equipment	688
Indefinite-lived trademarks	9,059
Definite-lived (20-year life)	60
Short-term borrowings	(205)
Current portion of long-term debt	(240)
Long-term debt	(900)
Deferred income taxes	(3,535)
Other assets and liabilities, net	(540)
Noncontrolling interests	(36)
Total identifiable net assets	5,310
Total purchase price	10,407	10,400
Goodwill	$ 5,097
Definite-lived intangible asset life, years	20

Business acquisition purchase price allocation noncontrolling interests

No definition available.

Name:	mo_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationNoncontrollingInterests
Namespace Prefix:	mo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Business acquisition purchase price allocation noncurrent liabilities deferred income taxes

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mo_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationNoncurrentLiabilitiesDeferredIncomeTaxes
Namespace Prefix:	mo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Business acquisition purchase price allocation other assets acquired other liabilities assumed net

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mo_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationOtherAssetsAcquiredOtherLiabilitiesAssumedNet
Namespace Prefix:	mo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Business acquisition purchase price allocation short term borrowings

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	mo_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationShortTermBorrowings
Namespace Prefix:	mo_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The total cost of the acquired entity including the cash paid to shareholders of acquired entities, fair value of debt and equity securities issued to shareholders of acquired entities, the fair value of the liabilities assumed, and direct costs of the acquisition.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionCostOfAcquiredEntityPurchasePrice
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of acquisition cost of a business combination allocated to an identifiable intangible asset that will be amortized.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationAmortizableIntangibleAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of cash and cash equivalents acquired in a business combination.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationCurrentAssetsCashAndCashEquivalents
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of acquisition cost of a business combination allocated to inventory, including finished goods, work-in-process, and raw materials.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationCurrentAssetsInventory
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of acquisition cost of a business combination allocated to the current portion of long-term debt of the acquired entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationCurrentLiabilitiesLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of goodwill arising from a business combination, which is the excess of the cost of the acquired entity over the amounts assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 52

-Subparagraph c

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 53

-Subparagraph d

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of acquisition cost of a business combination allocated to an identifiable intangible asset that will not be amortized. Does not include goodwill.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationIntangibleAssetsNotAmortizable
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of acquisition cost of a business combination allocated to the noncurrent portion of the long-term debt assumed from the acquired entity.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 51

-Subparagraph e

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF)

-Number 98-1

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 37

-Subparagraph g

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationNoncurrentLiabilitiesLongTermDebt
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of acquisition cost of a business combination allocated to property, plant and equipment to be used in ongoing operations.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationPropertyPlantAndEquipment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The net amount recognized as of the acquisition date for the aggregate identifiable assets acquired in excess of or less than the aggregate liabilities assumed.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141R

-Paragraph 68

-Subparagraph i

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6910749&loc=d3e4845-128472

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 805

-SubTopic 10

-Section 55

-Paragraph 37

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6910123&loc=d3e2207-128464

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationRecognizedIdentifiableAssetsAcquiredAndLiabilitiesAssumedNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The useful life of all finite-lived intangible assets.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 142

-Paragraph 12, 13, 14

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 350

-SubTopic 30

-Section 35

-Paragraph 6

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6904245&loc=d3e15372-109273

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration