Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,191	$ 1,253
Receivables	133	142
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	920	941
Other raw materials	184	170
Work in process	547	560
Finished product	606	554
Inventory, net	2,257	2,225
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	0	0
Income taxes	0	461
Other current assets	243	263
Total current assets	4,824	4,344
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	4,879	4,879
Less accumulated depreciation	2,988	2,965
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,891	1,914
Goodwill	5,307	5,307
Other intangible assets, net	12,400	12,400
Investment in AB InBev	18,199	17,952
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Finance assets, net	854	899
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets	424	386
Total Assets	43,899	43,202
Liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	864	864
Accounts payable	203	374
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	707	695
Employment costs	68	188
Settlement charges	3,458	2,442
Other	845	971
Dividends payable	1,330	1,258
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	0	0
Total current liabilities	7,475	6,792
Long-term debt	13,033	13,030
Deferred income taxes	5,292	5,247
Accrued pension costs	382	445
Accrued postretirement health care costs	1,987	1,987
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	0	0
Other liabilities	296	283
Total liabilities	28,465	27,784
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	37	38
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	935	935
Additional paid-in capital	5,938	5,952
Earnings reinvested in the business	42,816	42,251
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(1,927)	(1,897)
Cost of repurchased stock	(32,368)	(31,864)
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	15,394	15,377
Noncontrolling interests	3	3
Total stockholders’ equity	15,397	15,380	$ 12,773
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	43,899	43,202
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	2,152	1,203
Receivables	0	1
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	0	0
Other raw materials	0	0
Work in process	0	0
Finished product	0	0
Inventory, net	0	0
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	0	2
Income taxes		0
Other current assets	20	11
Total current assets	2,172	1,217
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	0	0
Less accumulated depreciation	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investment in AB InBev	18,199	17,952
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	14,018	13,111
Finance assets, net	0	0
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	4,790	4,790
Other assets	56	34
Total Assets	39,235	37,104
Liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	864	864
Accounts payable	5	2
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	0	0
Employment costs	12	21
Settlement charges	0	0
Other	267	389
Dividends payable	1,330	1,258
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	5,128	3,040
Total current liabilities	7,606	5,574
Long-term debt	13,033	13,030
Deferred income taxes	2,854	2,809
Accrued pension costs	202	206
Accrued postretirement health care costs	0	0
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	0	0
Other liabilities	146	108
Total liabilities	23,841	21,727
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	935	935
Additional paid-in capital	5,938	5,952
Earnings reinvested in the business	42,816	42,251
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(1,927)	(1,897)
Cost of repurchased stock	(32,368)	(31,864)
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	15,394	15,377
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	15,394	15,377
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	39,235	37,104
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	1	1
Receivables	11	10
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	543	579
Other raw materials	112	111
Work in process	7	5
Finished product	174	128
Inventory, net	836	823
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	4,874	2,413
Income taxes		542
Other current assets	217	147
Total current assets	5,939	3,936
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	2,924	2,930
Less accumulated depreciation	2,101	2,086
Property, plant and equipment, net	823	844
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	2	2
Investment in AB InBev	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	2,825	2,818
Finance assets, net	0	0
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets	689	671
Total Assets	10,278	8,271
Liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	78	91
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	613	578
Employment costs	11	14
Settlement charges	3,451	2,437
Other	313	433
Dividends payable	0	0
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	342	317
Total current liabilities	4,808	3,870
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Accrued pension costs	0	0
Accrued postretirement health care costs	1,214	1,214
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	0	0
Other liabilities	43	49
Total liabilities	6,065	5,133
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	0	0
Additional paid-in capital	3,310	3,310
Earnings reinvested in the business	1,167	96
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(264)	(268)
Cost of repurchased stock	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	4,213	3,138
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	4,213	3,138
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	10,278	8,271
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	38	49
Receivables	122	131
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	377	362
Other raw materials	72	59
Work in process	540	555
Finished product	432	426
Inventory, net	1,421	1,402
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	676	1,022
Income taxes		17
Other current assets	83	105
Total current assets	2,340	2,726
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	1,955	1,949
Less accumulated depreciation	887	879
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,068	1,070
Goodwill	5,307	5,307
Other intangible assets, net	12,398	12,398
Investment in AB InBev	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Finance assets, net	854	899
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets	154	157
Total Assets	22,121	22,557
Liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	120	281
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	94	117
Employment costs	45	153
Settlement charges	7	5
Other	342	247
Dividends payable	0	0
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	80	80
Total current liabilities	688	883
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	2,913	2,914
Accrued pension costs	180	239
Accrued postretirement health care costs	773	773
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	4,790	4,790
Other liabilities	107	126
Total liabilities	9,451	9,725
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	37	38
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	9	9
Additional paid-in capital	12,045	12,045
Earnings reinvested in the business	2,043	2,243
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(1,467)	(1,506)
Cost of repurchased stock	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	12,630	12,791
Noncontrolling interests	3	3
Total stockholders’ equity	12,633	12,794
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	22,121	22,557
Total Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Receivables	0	0
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	0	0
Other raw materials	0	0
Work in process	0	0
Finished product	0	0
Inventory, net	0	0
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	(5,550)	(3,437)
Income taxes		(98)
Other current assets	(77)	0
Total current assets	(5,627)	(3,535)
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	0	0
Less accumulated depreciation	0	0
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Investment in AB InBev	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(16,843)	(15,929)
Finance assets, net	0	0
Due from Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	(4,790)	(4,790)
Other assets	(475)	(476)
Total Assets	(27,735)	(24,730)
Liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	0	0
Employment costs	0	0
Settlement charges	0	0
Other	(77)	(98)
Dividends payable	0	0
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	(5,550)	(3,437)
Total current liabilities	(5,627)	(3,535)
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(475)	(476)
Accrued pension costs	0	0
Accrued postretirement health care costs	0	0
Due to Altria Group, Inc. and subsidiaries	(4,790)	(4,790)
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(10,892)	(8,801)
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	(9)	(9)
Additional paid-in capital	(15,355)	(15,355)
Earnings reinvested in the business	(3,210)	(2,339)
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	1,731	1,774
Cost of repurchased stock	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria Group, Inc.	(16,843)	(15,929)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(16,843)	(15,929)
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	$ (27,735)	$ (24,730)