Executives At Johnson & Johnson Discussed The Presence Of Asbestos In Their Talc In Internal Memoranda For Several Decades
Johnson & Johnson continues to publicly deny that their baby powder talc is contaminated with asbestos
Sunday, July 16, 2023 - In the modern world, cancer patients are finding it to be increasingly difficult to pinpoint the source of what caused their disease. Cancer could be caused by so many factors including working at a desk job in an old building that had a history of containing asbestos insulation, to working in a career where one comes into contact with asbestos like an auto mechanic or construction worker. The science lately has pointed to blaming ovarian cancer and mesothelioma of the lungs on using talcum powder, Johnson's Baby Powder mostly. About 38,000 Johnson’s Baby Powder lawsuits against the baby powder maker are pending where women allege that the company advertised they use their iconic brand of talc on their genital region to keep fresh in between showers. The company even rebranded a type of talcum powder to be called "Shower to Shower" leaving no doubt as to the intentions of the advertiser. Johnson's talcum powder was initially marketed to mothers to use it on their baby's bottoms during diaper changes to alleviate the pain of diaper rash. The company plastered a picture of a happy baby on the talcum bottle calling it "Baby Powder." Not so coincidentally, Shower to Shower first came to market in 1972, just a year after internal Johnson & Johnson memos revealed that the company had acknowledged that scientific sources identified asbestos as being highly carcinogenic, their talc supply may contain asbestos, and that no mother would be inclined to use the product on their child should they find out. Talcum powder lawsuits also allege that the company intentionally targeted Black women in the humid Southern US states with promotions through radio, magazines, and free samples of "Shower to Shower" given out at Black churches.
According to NPR.com, " Pharmaceutical giant Johnson &Johnson marketed its talcum-based powder products specifically to Black women despite evidence showing the products cause cancer, a new lawsuit alleges. The complaint, filed by the National Council of Negro Women, asserts that the New Jersey-based drug company made Black women a "central part" of its business strategy but failed to warn them about the potential dangers of the powder products it was selling." The NPR article goes on to quote Janice Mathis, executive director of the National Council of Negro Women, as saying " This company, through its words and images, told Black women that we were offensive in our natural state and needed to use their products to stay fresh," and that " Generations of Black women believed them and made it our daily practice to use their products in ways that put us at risk of cancer -- and we taught our daughters to do the same. Shame on Johnson and Johnson." That shame was echoed by jury after jury which awarded 22 women suing the company for causing their ovarian cancer an appeals-adjusted $2 billion. After hearing the company's appeal, the Missouri Appellate judge called Johnson & Johnson's corporate conduct reprehensible. " The court stated: "We find there was significant reprehensibility in Defendants' conduct," including "evidence that Defendants discussed the presence of asbestos in their talc in internal memoranda for several decades; avoided adopting more accurate measures for detecting asbestos and influenced the industry to do the same; attempted to discredit those scientists publishing studies unfavorable to their Products; and did not eliminate talc from the Products and use cornstarch instead because it would be more costly to do so." according to PR Newswire.com.
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