Contingencies MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified		6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	25 Months Ended			6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			96 Months Ended			12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Engle Progency Cases Excluding Lukacs [Member] Liggett [Member] cases	Jun. 30, 2012 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member]	Apr. 16, 2012 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Nov. 30, 1998 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett [Member] states	Mar. 31, 1998 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Damages From Cigarette Smoking MSA and Other State Settlement Agreements [Member] Vector Tobacco [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Master Settlement Agreement [Member]	Dec. 31, 2003 NPM Adjustment [Member] courts	Jun. 30, 2012 NPM Adjustment [Member]	Dec. 31, 2005 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Dec. 31, 2004 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Dec. 31, 2003 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett and Vector Tobacco [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 NPM Adjustment [Member] Liggett [Member]	Dec. 31, 2003 Minnesota Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member] years	Jun. 30, 2010 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Nov. 30, 2008 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2002 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Dec. 31, 2002 Lukacs case [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Minimum [Member] Engle Progency Cases Excluding Lukacs [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Minimum [Member] Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member] years	Jun. 30, 2012 Maximum [Member] Engle Progency Cases Excluding Lukacs [Member] Liggett [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Maximum [Member] Master Settlement Agreement [Member] sponsorships	Jun. 30, 2012 Maximum [Member] Florida Settlement [Member] Liggett [Member] years
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Settlements of litigation		12					45
Number of States						46
Number of brand name sponsorships allowed																														1
Brand Name Sponsorship Period										12 months
Annual payment requirement			$ 9,000,000		$ 154,600														$ 100	$ 250
Payment obligations								1.65%	0.28%
Total cigarettes sold	3.80%
Settlement payment					101,500										9,345	61,960				1,200			24,835	37,500	12,418		1		3,008
Payments for Legal Settlements				50,100
Payments for Legal Settlements, To Disputed Account				18,000
Settlement Amount Disputed				3,000
Noncurrent receivable																	6,542
Amounts not expensed by the Company											1,200,000		800	3,789	6,542
Courts That Did Not Rule											1
Courts that decided the issue											48
Settling States											45	49
Allocable Share of Settling States											90.00%	80.00%
Reduction of any Potential 2003 NPM Adjustment												20.00%
Maximum loss exposure		15,967																36,000
Future MSA payments if method of calculation is changed																		2,500
Years Annual Payments Required																					21
Years Annual Payments Required That Are Subject To Inflation Adjustment																												12			21
Accrued expense for this matter																				3,200
Portion responsible for Damages																										50.00%
Litigation Award Paid																						$ 14,361
Plaintiffs Verdicts		7