Jury Awards $72 Million In Johnson & Johnson Talcum Powder Cancer Lawsuit

[dixiegrrrrl]

In the first of what looks to be many verdicts and/or settlements involving allegations that Johnson & Johnson ignored a possible link between cancer and its talcum-based products, a jury in Missouri has ordered the company to pay a total of $72 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer.

In 2014, an Alabama woman named Jacqueline Fox was one of dozens of women with ovarian cancer who sued Johnson & Johnson, alleging that the healthcare products giant deliberately turned a blind eye to scientific evidence showing a possible link between the use of talcum powder in the female genital area and an increased risk for ovarian cancer.

The complaint cites studies going back to 1971 that suggest this link exists. According to the lawsuit, after a 1982 study on the issue found a 92% increased risk in ovarian cancer with women who used talc-based products around their genitals, the researcher behind that study directly advised a J&J doctor to place a warning label on their products.
While J&J and others continued to defend the use of talcum powder in feminine hygiene products, the condom industry halted the mineral’s use in the mid-1990s amid the growing concerns about its link to ovarian cancer risk.

About a decade ago, the World Health Organization’s International Association for the Research of Cancer declared that “There is limited evidence in humans for the carcinogenicity of perineal use of talc-based body powder,” meaning that “a positive association has been observed between exposure to the agent and cancer for which a causal interpretation is considered by the Working Group to be credible.”

http://consumerist.com/2016/02/24/jury-awards-72-million-in-johnson-johnson-talcum-powder-cancer-lawsuit/

There IS a version of the baby powder that uses cornstarch, it is pretty good.

[LiberalEsto]

1. J & J is nasty, and their own bad karma is biting them in the butt

I have boycotted their products for many years.

[Vinca]

2. "Anti Monkey Butt Powder" . . . I swear that's what it's called.

Better than baby powder. Carried by Walgreen's.

[PonyUp]

4. They also have Baby Monkey Butt powder for babies. nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Wonder if that is to be found down here in the South..

a very good heat rash product is called Bordeax's Butt Paste. It is a zinc containing paste and works well.
We also use Bond's Gold powder, zinc and powder for areas that tend to need it in humid weather.

[PonyUp]

3. Any documented cancer risks for men that use it?

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Have no idea.....

would assume it can penetrate skin, tho, so.....

[PatrickforO]

5. Hello dixiegrrrl! This bothers me, because Johnson & Johnson had

$16.32 billion in net income in 2014. To put this fine in perspective, $72 million is a whopping 4/10 of 1% of this net income.

Unfortunately, Johnson & Johnson, indeed ANY company that continues to knowingly put out a toxic product for decades won't ever do anything but just cheerfully pay the settlements as they come along, because each is nothing more than a mosquito bite in the greater context of profits. Cheaper to pay periodic settlements than it is to fix the problem, really.

If we REALLY wanted corporations guilty of such malfeasance to NEVER DO IT AGAIN, the penalty should be increased to say, 5% or 6% of net income. This would be big enough to cause some changes in the executive suite and would discourage such behavior.

But should one family of one woman get $860 million in a case like this? Not necessarily. The family should get maybe $5 to $10 million because in this case, the malfeasance is egregious.The remaining $850 million should go back to government regulatory agencies to enhance enforcement abilities.

At least that's one person's opinion...mine!

Regards!

[appalachiablue]

8. K&R. Several years ago J & J pledged to revise their Baby Shampoo and other

personal care products that contain carcinogenic and harmful chemicals due to advocates who complained about the use of the pesticide Triclosan in Baby Shampoo and the release of formaldehyde in the product. Baby powder, talcum powder, shampoo, lotions and many other personal consumer products for babies and adults are considered cosmetics which are not regulated by the FDA.

-Johnson and Johnson to Phase Out Potentially Harmful Products by 2015, CBS, Aug. 15, 2012.

(CBS/AP) Johnson & Johnson says it will remove carcinogenic chemicals and other potentially harmful substances from nearly all its adult toiletries and cosmetic products worldwide within 3.5 years. The health care giant late last year pledged to remove "chemicals of concern" from its baby products sold around the world after being pressed to do so for more than three years by a large coalition of health and environmental groups. Groups at the time alleged chemicals found in products such as the company's popular No More Tears baby shampoo released the carcinogen formaldehyde.

Johnson & Johnson told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview Tuesday that it remains on track to have baby products, including the shampoo, reformulated with safer ingredients by the end of 2013. Adult products will be reformulated by the end of 2015.
Those include Johnson's baby lotion and bath products and Desitin for diaper rash, as well as adult skin care brands including Aveeno, Neutrogena, RoC, Clean & Clear and Lubriderm. J&J, based in New Brunswick, N.J., also makes prescription drugs and medical devices.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics began pushing J&J in May 2009 to remove harsh and toxic chemicals from its brands to protect consumers and workers. The coalition includes more than 175 nonprofit groups representing about 1.7 million members, from the Environmental Working Group and Friends of the Earth to the American Nurses Association and Physicians for Social Responsibility. Research by the Environmental Working Group found most cosmetic and personal care products - other than those from small companies in the fast-growing natural products niche - contain potentially dangerous chemicals.

The chemicals in question are 1,4 dioxane and the preservative formaldehyde, which is slowly released by a chemical called quaternium-15 to kill bacteria. Both 1,4 dioxane and formaldehyde are probable human carcinogens; formaldehyde also is a skin, eye and respiratory irritant. By 2015, J&J will phase out those two chemicals and others of concern, including triclosan, phthalates and parabens, as well as fragrance ingredients, which aren't disclosed on product labels.
However, it will allow chemicals that release formaldehyde when no safe alternative will work and is reducing levels of 1,4 dioxane to below 10 parts per million. A recent study tied Triclosan, which is found in many antibacterial products, to muscle and heart damage in mice. Parabens are the most commonly used preservative in cosmetics, according to the FDA, and have been tied breast cancer risk. Phthalateshave been tied to hormone disruption upping diabetes and obesity risk.

More: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/johnson-johnson-to-phase-out-potentially-harmful-chemicals-by-2015/

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. ty so much for the very interesting information.

[appalachiablue]

11. For sure. People need to know about toxins in consumer products and our environment.

[Person 2713]

9. J&J is EVIL as in Bayer . They have hid so much over the years for money . Money is more

important than people to J&J.