Mainstream Media Addresses Talcum Powder Asbestos Contamination

Internal company memos from the early 1970s and obtained by the mainstream media indicate that executives at Johnson & Johnson knew that their talc supply contained particles of asbestos

Saturday, December 15, 2018 - The mainstream media has confirmed the evidence used in the successful talcum powder ovarian cancer lawsuits regarding talcum powder asbestos contamination. Talc is mined around the world in locations that are in close proximity and sometimes adjacent to asbestos mines and the potential for cross-contamination is high. The New York Times is reporting that executives at Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) have known this for decades and failed to warn the public by covering up what they knew. Company memos acquired by The Times using the Freedom of Information Act indicate that JNJ was aware as early as 1971 that the talc supply used in the making of the iconic Johnson's Baby Powder was contaminated with particles of asbestos and the company was concerned as to what to do about it to rectify the situation. JNJ lawyers wrote that they wanted information as to the percentage of asbestos in the talc and whether or not the amount was within acceptable legal limits. Internal memos reflect the company's concern that there was a likelihood that the talc mines they were buying their talc from were contaminated with asbestos and that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should play a role in covering up the findings. (1)

Johnson and Johnson have been on the losing end of a number of lawsuits claiming that Johnson's Baby Powder talc is in and of itself carcinogenic and contributed to the development of ovarian cancer in women. In addition, a jury has awarded 22 women suing the company $4.69 billion for their ovarian cancer. Two cases were decided in New Jersey and California where the plaintiff alleged that asbestos in Johnson's Baby Powder caused them to develop mesothelioma, a rare and deadly form of lung cancer. Developing mesothelioma from inhaling baby powder dust opens the floodgates of litigation for the millions of people that use Johnson's Baby Powder. There are currently close to 12,000 baby powder cancer lawsuits that have been filed against Johnson & Johnson.

What the media has failed to point out, however, is that it is no coincidence that most of Johnson's Baby Powder ovarian cancer plaintiffs are African American women. According to an article in Time Magazine, back in the early 1970s when the company acknowledged that asbestos was contaminating their talc supply, marketing executive decided to redirect their marketing efforts away from "white babies," and toward African American women. "A Sprinkle a Day Helps Keep Odors Away" was the tagline of millions of advertisements in every form of media featuring African American women, a demographic the company thought would be a less well-informed demographic. African American women were race-shamed into thinking they smelled worse than their white counterparts and could gain a degree of equality by using Johnson's Baby Powder and Shower to Shower for feminine hygiene. (2)

(1) https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/business/baby-powder-asbestos-johnson-johnson.html

(2) http://time.com/4280707/black-women-beauty-myths/

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