Contingencies (Class Actions, Health Care Cost Recovery Actions, and Upcoming Trials) (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2015 plaintiff claims case	Oct. 31, 2013 case	May 31, 2013 case	May 31, 2009	Jul. 31, 1999 plaintiff	Sep. 30, 2016 defendant case	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) defendant case	Dec. 31, 2001 case
Parsons v. AC & S Inc.
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Damages sought | $							$ 1,000
Number of defendants in bankruptcy | defendant						3	3
Department of Justice Lawsuit
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Required reporting period				10 years
Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs | plaintiff					3
Pending claims scheduled for trial						17	17
Individual Actions Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases pending						33	33
Pending claims scheduled for trial						1	1
Liggett
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases pending						4	4
Liggett | Class Actions
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases pending						3	3
Liggett | Crow Creek Sioux Tribe v. American Tobacco Company
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases pending						1	1
Liggett | Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases pending						1	1
Cases settled		4,900
Liggett | Individual Actions Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases pending						3	3
Liggett and Vector Tobacco | Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases settled						0	175
West Virginia | Tobacco Litigation Personal Injury Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases pending								750
Number of mistrials			2
Claims dismissed			1
Number of plaintiffs	30
Number of consolidated trials | claims	6
Number of plaintiffs in each trial | plaintiff	5
West Virginia | Liggett | Tobacco Litigation Personal Injury Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases pending						75	75
West Virginia | Liggett | Individual Actions Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases pending						2	2