Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,393	$ 1,253
Receivables	187	142
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	794	941
Other raw materials	188	170
Work in process	506	560
Finished product	589	554
Inventory, net	2,077	2,225
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Income taxes	84	461
Other current assets	424	263
Total current assets	5,165	4,344
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	4,861	4,879
Less accumulated depreciation	2,970	2,965
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,891	1,914
Goodwill	5,307	5,307
Other intangible assets, net	12,385	12,400
Investment in AB InBev	17,825	17,952
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Finance assets, net	848	899
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets	532	386
Total Assets	43,953	43,202
Liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	2,007	864
Accounts payable	289	374
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	690	695
Employment costs	147	188
Settlement charges	3,230	2,442
Other	775	971
Dividends payable	1,508	1,258
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Total current liabilities	8,646	6,792
Long-term debt	11,896	13,030
Deferred income taxes	5,427	5,247
Accrued pension costs	260	445
Accrued postretirement health care costs	1,983	1,987
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other liabilities	207	283
Total liabilities	28,419	27,784
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	38	38
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	935	935
Additional paid-in capital	5,959	5,952
Earnings reinvested in the business	43,805	42,251
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(2,034)	(1,897)
Cost of repurchased stock	(33,171)	(31,864)
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	15,494	15,377
Noncontrolling interests	2	3
Total stockholders’ equity	15,496	15,380	$ 12,773
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	43,953	43,202
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Altria Group, Inc. [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	2,346	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 and subsidiaries	7	2
Income taxes	0	0
Other current assets	56	11
Total current assets	2,409	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	17,825	17,952
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	14,081	13,111
Finance assets, net	0	0
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	4,790	4,790
Other assets	159	34
Total Assets	39,264	37,104
Liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	2,007	864
Accounts payable	0	2
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	0	0
Employment costs	14	21
Settlement charges	0	0
Other	277	389
Dividends payable	1,508	1,258
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	4,814	3,040
Total current liabilities	8,620	5,574
Long-term debt	11,896	13,030
Deferred income taxes	2,963	2,809
Accrued pension costs	197	206
Accrued postretirement health care costs	0	0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other liabilities	94	108
Total liabilities	23,770	21,727
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	935	935
Additional paid-in capital	5,959	5,952
Earnings reinvested in the business	43,805	42,251
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(2,034)	(1,897)
Cost of repurchased stock	(33,171)	(31,864)
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	15,494	15,377
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	15,494	15,377
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	39,264	37,104
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | PM USA [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	1
Receivables	14	10
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	465	579
Other raw materials	114	111
Work in process	4	5
Finished product	117	128
Inventory, net	700	823
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	4,085	2,413
Income taxes	223	542
Other current assets	334	147
Total current assets	5,356	3,936
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	2,910	2,930
Less accumulated depreciation	2,100	2,086
Property, plant and equipment, net	810	844
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	2	2
Investment in AB InBev	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	2,861	2,818
Finance assets, net	0	0
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets	717	671
Total Assets	9,746	8,271
Liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	78	91
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	578	578
Employment costs	11	14
Settlement charges	3,222	2,437
Other	335	433
Dividends payable	0	0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	426	317
Total current liabilities	4,650	3,870
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Accrued pension costs	0	0
Accrued postretirement health care costs	1,213	1,214
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other liabilities	30	49
Total liabilities	5,893	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	801	96
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(258)	(268)
Cost of repurchased stock	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	3,853	3,138
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	3,853	3,138
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	9,746	8,271
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	47	49
Receivables	173	131
Inventories:
Leaf tobacco	329	362
Other raw materials	74	59
Work in process	502	555
Finished product	472	426
Inventory, net	1,377	1,402
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	1,233	1,022
Income taxes	0	17
Other current assets	34	105
Total current assets	2,864	2,726
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	1,951	1,949
Less accumulated depreciation	870	879
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,081	1,070
Goodwill	5,307	5,307
Other intangible assets, net	12,383	12,398
Investment in AB InBev	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Finance assets, net	848	899
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	0	0
Other assets	144	157
Total Assets	22,627	22,557
Liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable	211	281
Accrued liabilities:
Marketing	112	117
Employment costs	122	153
Settlement charges	8	5
Other	302	247
Dividends payable	0	0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	85	80
Total current liabilities	840	883
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	2,952	2,914
Accrued pension costs	63	239
Accrued postretirement health care costs	770	773
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	4,790	4,790
Other liabilities	83	126
Total liabilities	9,498	9,725
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	38	38
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	9	9
Additional paid-in capital	12,236	12,045
Earnings reinvested in the business	2,241	2,243
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	(1,397)	(1,506)
Cost of repurchased stock	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	13,089	12,791
Noncontrolling interests	2	3
Total stockholders’ equity	13,091	12,794
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	22,627	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 and subsidiaries	(5,325)	(3,437)
Income taxes	(139)	(98)
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(5,464)	(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	(16,942)	(15,929)
Finance assets, net	0	0
Due from Altria and subsidiaries	(4,790)	(4,790)
Other assets	(488)	(476)
Total Assets	(27,684)	(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	(139)	(98)
Dividends payable	0	0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	(5,325)	(3,437)
Total current liabilities	(5,464)	(3,535)
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(488)	(476)
Accrued pension costs	0	0
Accrued postretirement health care costs	0	0
Due to Altria and subsidiaries	(4,790)	(4,790)
Other liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(10,742)	(8,801)
Contingencies
Redeemable noncontrolling interest	0	0
Stockholders’ Equity
Common stock	(9)	(9)
Additional paid-in capital	(15,546)	(15,355)
Earnings reinvested in the business	(3,042)	(2,339)
Accumulated other comprehensive losses	1,655	1,774
Cost of repurchased stock	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity attributable to Altria	(16,942)	(15,929)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total stockholders’ equity	(16,942)	(15,929)
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity	$ (27,684)	$ (24,730)