Concerns Over Use of Talcum Powder Mount Following $72 Million Verdict

Can talcum powder cause cancer?  A Missouri jury, which recently ordered a U.S. cosmetics giant to pay $72 million to the family of a woman who died from ovarian cancer, thinks so – determining that her cancer was caused by using Johnson & Johnson products containing talc. J&J Ordered to Pay Damages

Baby powder and other cosmetic products are often made from talc, a mineral comprised primarily of magnesium, silicon and oxygen. Cancer Causing Carcinogens

The family of the deceased Alabama woman – Jacqueline Fox – was awarded $10 million in damages and $62 million in punitive damages from Johnson & Johnson following her death last year.  According to news reports, her family’s attorneys asserted that Fox’s death was linked to her prolonged use of Johnson & Johnson’s Baby Powder  and Shower to Shower, a brand that Johnson & Johnson sold to Valeant Pharmaceuticals International. Fox, who died at 62, used these products for feminine hygiene purposes for more than 35 years. Johnson & Johnson Verdict

Jurors found Johnson & Johnson liable for fraud, negligence and conspiracy after Fox’s attorneys argued that the company recognized the inherent dangers of talc, but failed to inform customers.

Johnson & Johnson hid the dangers

Johnson & Johnson faces mounting claims that it has done nothing to warn consumers that its talc-based products could cause cancer. About 1,000 cases have been filed in Missouri state court, and another 200 in New Jersey. This precedent-setting verdict is the first by a United States jury to award monetary compensation over the claims. Read More.

In the meantime, consumers concerned about the repercussions of using talc-based products can use powders made with cornstarch instead. Read more here.