Johnson & Johnson Hid Dangers of Talc Powder in Products
By: Cohen, Placitella & Roth @ Oct 10, 2016
Defective and dangerous products are manufactured all of the time. From vehicles to toys, the products that we bring into our homes and use every day aren’t always safe. However, the majority of the time, the manufacturer doesn’t know that their product is dangerous; if they did, they would surely recall it and make a change, right?
Unfortunately, just the opposite is true for Johnson & Johnson, the maker of myriad hygienic products, including Shower-to-Shower and Baby Powder. New evidence has surfaced suggesting that not only are the company’s talc powder-containing products dangerous and even deadly, but that Johnson & Johnson knew of the risks, yet hid the evidence for nearly four decades.
The Risks of Johnson & Johnson’s Talc Powder Products
Studies show that using Johnson & Johnson’s talc powder-containing products (namely Shower-to-Shower and Baby Powder) can be dangerous. Specifically, women who used the powders as part of their daily hygienic routine, applying the powders to their sanitary napkins, underwear, and genitals for multiple years’ time are at an increased risk of ovarian cancer. Evidence suggests that the minimum amount of times the product must be applied to one of the above for a woman to have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer is around 2,400; some women – such as Jacqueline Fox, who died from ovarian cancer – have used it more than 20,000 times throughout the course of their lives.
Johnson & Johnson Knew of Connection Between Talc and Ovarian Cancer Yet Hid Risks for Decades
Evidence suggests that Johnson & Johnson knew of the risks associated with the use of its products, and yet continued – and continues today – to market the products directly to woman, insisting that the products are safe to use over the entire body and even creating ads with taglines such as, “Your body perspires in more places than just under your arms,” suggesting that women should apply the powders to their genitals.
As early as 1971, a study conducted in Wales found that the use of talc in the genitalia area of females was associated with 92 percent increased risk of ovarian cancer. As the result of this study, the lead doctor advised Johnson & Johnson to place a warning label on its talc-containing products; the company declined.
The 1971 study wasn’t the only one; more than 20 different studies have also supported the link between talc and ovarian cancer; in 1996 the condom industry stopped dusting its products with talc; and in 2006, Johnson & Johnson’s primarily supplier of talc starting warning the company about talc’s dangers. Despite all of this, Johnson & Johnson did nothing to warn the public; instead, they did just the opposite, hiring company-friendly experts, taking steps to influence regulatory agencies, and discussing how to hide information about risks from the public.
Call Product Liability Attorneys in Philadelphia Today
Many people – like the family of J. Fox – have already filed lawsuits against Johnson & Johnson, and the company has already been forced to pay millions of dollars to compensate victims for damages. If you believe that you may have a case, contact our experienced Philadelphia product liability attorneys today.
