Johnson and Johnson Inc. Refuses Baby Powder Cancer Warning Label

In the wake of lawsuits and scientific studies pointing to talc containing asbestos, competing baby powder products now carry cancer warning labels

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - Lawyers for plaintiffs suing Johnson & Johnson have new and damning evidence to present at trial against the company. Competing baby powder products have done the responsible thing and placed warning labels on their baby care products that contain talc indicating in no uncertain terms that talc is linked to cancer. One such product warning label reads: "This product contains talcum powder and is intended for external use only. Frequent application of talcum powder in the female genital area may increase the risk of ovarian cancer." Another baby powder brand carries a similar warning: "Medical evidence suggests that women who use talcum powder as a feminine hygiene product run a greater risk of developing ovarian cancer." The two products are marketed under the names of Angel of Mine Baby Powder and Spring Fresh Powder respectively. Plaintiffs have testified that if Johnson's Baby Powder carried a similar warning they (could have made a more informed decision and) would have chosen not to use the product.

Decades of scientific studies point to talc being contaminated with asbestos, a known carcinogenic, and thus being responsible for the cancer deaths of thousands of people. Attorneys for plaintiffs suing Johnson & Johnson argued that internal company memos and emails indicate that the cosmetic giant has been aware that the talc mining process can and often does contaminate talc with asbestos and the company did nothing to warn consumers of the link. Punitive damages from jury verdicts in the hundreds of millions of dollars have held Johnson & Johnson accountable for knowing yet failing to warn consumers that Johnson's Baby Powder is the cause of both ovarian cancer and lung cancer called mesothelioma. Instead of voluntarily withdrawing Johnson's Baby Powder from the market pending further testing, or re-labeling the product to alert consumers of the cancer link, Johnson & Johnson chose to redirect their marketing efforts to target African American women, a demographic they felt was less likely to be well-informed on talc's health issues. As racist and outrageous as that may seem, the fact that Johnson & Johnson targeted African American women has been shown to be a fact by both internal company memos and by the print and television content of the advertisements themselves targeting African American women. Time magazine published a report accusing Johnson's of racism in their advertising in an article that can be found here: http://time.com/4280707/black-women-beauty-myths/ .

Despite the fact that scientific research dating back decades have found particles of talc in the ovaries of women with ovarian cancer, Johnson's Baby Powder continues to refuse to warn consumers. As a result of the media attention paid to the multi-million dollar jury verdicts against Johnson & Johnson, sales of Johnson and Johnson's Baby Powder declined 14% in 2016, the company has redesigned its entire line of baby care products to make them appear more health conscience and baby-friendly, however, Johnson's baby Powder continues to made from talc, an organic compound mined in China in close proximity to asbestos.

Information provided by TalcumPowderCancerLawsuit.com, a website devoted to providing news about talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits, as well as medical research and findings.