Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Sep. 30, 2009
Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]
Short-term liquid investments, maturity period	90 days
Inventory operating cycle period	exceeds 12 months
Derivative agreements total notional amount				$ 750
Percentage sales to one customer of total sales of Lorillard	28.00%	27.00%	26.00%
Largest selling brand Newport as a percentage of total sales of parent company	88.40%	88.80%	90.00%
Percentage of leaf tobacco purchased from one dealer	24.90%	27.40%	21.70%
Advertising expense	41	35	40
Research and development costs are recorded as expense included in cost of sales and amounted	22	19	19
Pre-tax charges related to tobacco settlement costs	1,307	1,212	1,128
Legal costs expenses	$ 140	$ 116	$ 98
Amount recognized is greater than the amount being realized upon ultimate settlement	The largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement
Percentage of benefit, likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement	50.00%
Machinery and Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives, minimum	3
Estimated useful lives, maximum	12
Building [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives of building	40

Amount recognized is greater than the amount being realized upon ultimate settlement.

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Largest selling brand as percentage of sales of parent company.

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Maturity period of short term liquid investments, maximum.

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Operating cycle period for classifying portion of inventory as current asset.

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Percentage of benefit, likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement.

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Percentage of leaf tobacco purchased from one dealer.

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Percentage sales to one customer of sales of parent company.

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Pre-tax charges related to tobacco settlement costs.

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Amount charged to advertising expense for the period, which are expenses incurred with the objective of increasing revenue for a specified brand, product or product line.

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

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Statement of Position (SOP)

-Number 93-7

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 720

-SubTopic 35

-Section 50

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The amount of expense provided in the period for legal costs incurred on or before the balance sheet date pertaining to resolved, pending or threatened litigation, including arbitration and mediation proceedings.

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 5

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Aggregate notional amount of all interest rate derivatives designated as hedging instruments in fair value hedges. Notional amount refers to the monetary amount specified in the interest rate derivative contract.

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The average useful life of long-lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale. Examples include land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and other types of furniture and equipment including, but not limited to, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment and software.

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The maximum useful life of long-lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale. Examples include land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and other types of furniture and equipment including, but not limited to, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment and software.

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The aggregate costs incurred (1) in a planned search or critical investigation aimed at discovery of new knowledge with the hope that such knowledge will be useful in developing a new product or service, a new process or technique, or in bringing about a significant improvement to an existing product or process; or (2) to translate research findings or other knowledge into a plan or design for a new product or process or for a significant improvement to an existing product or process whether intended for sale or the entity's use, during the reporting period charged to research and development projects, including the costs of developing computer software up to the point in time of achieving technological feasibility, and costs allocated in accounting for a business combination to in-process projects deemed to have no alternative future use.

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