Quarterly Financial Data Quarterly Financial Data (Schedule of Pre-tax Charges or (Gains) Included in Net Earnings Attributable to Altria Group, Inc.) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Asset impairment and exit costs	$ 16		$ 11		$ 25		$ 4						$ 61	$ 222	$ 36
Asset Impairment Exit Implementation and Integration Costs									220	1	3	2
Tobacco and health judgments, including accrued interest	1		3		1		0		121	0	41	0
UST acquisition-related costs									1	1	0	4
PMCC (decrease) increase to allowance for losses and recoveries	0		(33)		(11)		0		60	(35)	0	0
Reduction to cumulative lease earnings	0		0		7		0		0	0	490	0	7	490
SABMiller special items	16	[1]	19	[1]	26	[1]	(309)	[1]	46	11	57	(32)
Loss on early extinguishment of debt	0		874		0		0						874	0	0
Pre-tax Charges (Gains) Included in Net Earnings	$ 33		$ 874		$ 48		$ (305)		$ 448	$ (22)	$ 591	$ (26)

[1] (a)During the second quarter of 2012, Altria Group, Inc. determined that it had not recorded in its financial statements for the three months ended March 31, 2012, its share of non-cash gains from its equity investment in SABMiller, relating to SABMiller's strategic alliance transactions with Anadolu Efes and Castel that were closed during the first quarter of 2012. Because Altria Group, Inc. did not record these gains, it understated by $342 million, $222 million and $0.11 earnings before income taxes, net earnings and diluted earnings per share attributable to Altria Group, Inc., respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2012. Altria Group, Inc. revised its first quarter of 2012 financial statements and reflected this revision in the financial statements as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2012. Financial results for the first quarter of 2012 reported above reflect this revision.