Contingencies (Engle Progeny Cases and Settlement) (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended					3 Months Ended
	Nov. 21, 1996 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) case	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) case	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) case	Feb. 28, 2015	Oct. 31, 2013 USD ($) case	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($) case	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Amount of litigation settlement awarded to other party	$ 145,000,000
Litigation settlement and judgment expense (income)							$ 0	$ (2,469)
Liggett
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Amount of litigation settlement awarded to other party	$ 790,000
Cases pending | case							1
Liggett | Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases settled | case		20	9	124		4,900
Amount of litigation settlement awarded to other party		$ 4,100	$ 1,400	$ 17,650		$ 110,000
Litigation settlement amount paid in lump sum				$ 14,000		61,600
Litigation settlement, installment term					14 years
Litigation settlement and judgment expense (income)									$ 17,650
Litigation settlement amount paid in installment payments						48,000
Litigation settlement amount of estimated future payments per annum						$ 3,400
Liggett | Lukacs, Campbell, Douglas, Clay, Tullo, Ward Rizzuto, Lambert and Buchanan
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Payments for legal settlements							$ 39,773
Liggett | Santoro v. R.J. Reynolds
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Payments for legal settlements							$ 160
Liggett and Vector Tobacco | Engle Progeny Cases
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Cases settled | case							185
Amount of litigation settlement awarded to other party							$ 7,600
Cases pending | case							70