Reclassification Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss and Affected Line Items in Condensed Consolidating Statements of Income (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions		3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of products sold	[1]	$ (1,278)		$ (1,275)		$ (2,477)	$ (2,440)
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(478)		(499)		(896)	(964)
Operating income		1,556		1,415		2,882	7,557
Other (income) expense, net		(11)		1		(15)	(251)
Interest and debt expense		150		152		299	326
Income before income taxes		1,398		1,266		2,573	6,985
Provision for income taxes		(479)		(470)		(874)	(2,624)
Net income		919		796		1,699	4,361
Gain on divestiture							4,861
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Net income		(7)	$ (7)	(6)	$ (6)	(11)	24
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Accumulated Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of products sold		(5)	(5)	(5)	(5)	(9)	(10)
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(4)	(4)	(5)	(5)	(8)	(10)
Operating income		(9)	(9)	(10)	(10)	(17)	(20)
Provision for income taxes		2	2	4	4	6	8
Net income		(7)	$ (7)	(6)	$ (6)	(11)	(12)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Accumulated Net Unrealized Investment Gain (Loss)
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other (income) expense, net							(3)
Provision for income taxes							1
Net income							(2)
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Accumulated Net Gain (Loss) from Designated or Qualifying Cash Flow Hedges
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other (income) expense, net							16
Interest and debt expense							1
Income before income taxes							17
Provision for income taxes							(6)
Net income							11
Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Cumulative Translation Adjustment and Other
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Gain on divestiture							27
RAI
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(12)		(6)		(27)	(22)
Operating income		(12)		(6)		(27)	(22)
Other (income) expense, net		(1)				(2)	(240)
Interest and debt expense		148		149		295	323
Income before income taxes		(146)		(134)		(289)	(538)
Provision for income taxes		50		48		125	190
Equity income from subsidiaries		1,015		882		1,863	4,709
Net income		919		796		1,699	4,361
RAI | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Equity income from subsidiaries		(7)		(6)		(11)	13
Net income		(7)		(6)		(11)	24
RAI | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Accumulated Net Gain (Loss) from Designated or Qualifying Cash Flow Hedges
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other (income) expense, net							16
Interest and debt expense							1
Income before income taxes							17
Provision for income taxes							(6)
Net income							11
Guarantors
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of products sold		(1,252)		(1,254)		(2,446)	(2,403)
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(445)		(457)		(819)	(858)
Operating income		1,586		1,459		2,954	7,640
Other (income) expense, net		11		9		21	15
Interest and debt expense		13		22		31	45
Income before income taxes		1,586		1,448		2,948	7,614
Provision for income taxes		(533)		(532)		(1,013)	(2,840)
Equity income from subsidiaries		(8)		2		(13)	2
Net income		1,045		918		1,922	4,776
Gain on divestiture							4,843
Guarantors | RJR Tobacco
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Selling, general and administrative expenses						1
Operating income						1
Other (income) expense, net		10		10		21	20
Income before income taxes		12		11		24	22
Equity income from subsidiaries		813		746		1,479	1,402
Net income		825		757		1,503	1,424
Guarantors | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Equity income from subsidiaries							27
Net income		(7)		(6)		(11)	13
Guarantors | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | RJR Tobacco
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Equity income from subsidiaries		(7)		(6)		(11)	13
Net income		(7)		(6)		(11)	13
Guarantors | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Accumulated Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of products sold		(5)		(5)		(9)	(10)
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(4)		(5)		(8)	(10)
Operating income		(9)		(10)		(17)	(20)
Provision for income taxes		2		4		6	8
Net income		(7)		(6)		(11)	(12)
Guarantors | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Accumulated Net Unrealized Investment Gain (Loss)
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other (income) expense, net							(3)
Provision for income taxes							1
Net income							(2)
Non-Guarantors
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of products sold		(53)		(52)		(96)	(95)
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(21)		(34)		(50)	(82)
Operating income		(20)		(38)		(45)	(64)
Other (income) expense, net		(9)		3		(12)	(4)
Interest and debt expense		4		2		8	4
Income before income taxes		(32)		(37)		(64)	(72)
Provision for income taxes		4		14		14	26
Net income		(28)		(23)		(50)	(46)
Gain on divestiture							16
Non-Guarantors | RJR Tobacco
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of products sold		(248)		(210)		(472)	(404)
Selling, general and administrative expenses		1,042		223		1,957	409
Operating income		1,443		569		2,719	5,944
Other (income) expense, net		(9)		4		(12)	(3)
Interest and debt expense		17		22		37	48
Income before income taxes		1,418		552		2,672	5,894
Provision for income taxes		(483)		(193)		(915)	(2,162)
Net income		935		359		1,757	3,732
Gain on divestiture							4,861
Non-Guarantors | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Net income							27
Non-Guarantors | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | RJR Tobacco
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Net income							27
Non-Guarantors | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Cumulative Translation Adjustment and Other
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Gain on divestiture							27
Non-Guarantors | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Cumulative Translation Adjustment and Other | RJR Tobacco
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Gain on divestiture							27
RJR | RJR Tobacco
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of products sold		(1,069)		(1,108)		(2,094)	(2,125)
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(1,507)		(714)		(2,826)	(1,349)
Operating income		125		853		191	1,635
Other (income) expense, net				(2)		(1)	(6)
Interest and debt expense		2		3		4	3
Income before income taxes		125		849		189	1,629
Provision for income taxes		(46)		(325)		(84)	(652)
Equity income from subsidiaries		735		220		1,378	404
Net income		814		744		1,483	1,381
RJR | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | RJR Tobacco
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Equity income from subsidiaries							27
Net income		(7)		(6)		(11)	13
RJR | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Accumulated Defined Benefit Plans Adjustment | RJR Tobacco
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of products sold		(5)		(5)		(9)	(10)
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(4)		(5)		(8)	(10)
Operating income		(9)		(10)		(17)	(20)
Provision for income taxes		2		4		6	8
Net income		(7)		(6)		(11)	(12)
RJR | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | Accumulated Net Unrealized Investment Gain (Loss) | RJR Tobacco
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Other (income) expense, net							(3)
Provision for income taxes							1
Net income							(2)
Eliminations
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of products sold		27		31		65	58
Selling, general and administrative expenses				(2)			(2)
Operating income		2					3
Other (income) expense, net		(12)		(11)		(22)	(22)
Interest and debt expense		(15)		(21)		(35)	(46)
Income before income taxes		(10)		(11)		(22)	(19)
Equity income from subsidiaries		(1,007)		(884)		(1,850)	(4,711)
Net income		(1,017)		(895)		(1,872)	(4,730)
Gain on divestiture							2
Eliminations | RJR Tobacco
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of products sold		39		43		89	89
Selling, general and administrative expenses		(1)		(2)		(1)	(2)
Operating income				(1)		(2)
Other (income) expense, net		(11)		(11)		(21)	(22)
Interest and debt expense		(17)		(22)		(37)	(48)
Income before income taxes		(11)		(12)		(23)	(22)
Equity income from subsidiaries		(2,563)		(1,848)		(4,720)	(6,515)
Net income		(2,574)		(1,860)		(4,743)	(6,537)
Eliminations | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Equity income from subsidiaries		7		6		11	(40)
Net income		7		6		11	(40)
Eliminations | Reclassification out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income | RJR Tobacco
Reclassification Adjustment Out Of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Equity income from subsidiaries		14		12		22	(53)
Net income		$ 14		$ 12		$ 22	$ (53)

[1] Excludes excise taxes of $1,083 million and $1,120 million for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively; and $2,065 million and $2,150 million for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.