New York: Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $700 million to settle lawsuits in the United States that accused the company of misleading customers about the safety of its talcum powder products.
With its settlement, J&J has ended an inquiry conducted by over 40 US states concerning the marketing of baby powder and other talc-based goods that may have included asbestos, a carcinogen.
“Targeting communities with cosmetic products that contain dangerous substances is not just illegal, it is very cruel,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement on Tuesday.
“No amount of money can undo the pain caused by Johnson & Johnson’s talc-laced products, but today families can rest assured that the company is being held accountable for the harm it caused, and its dangerous products will no longer be on shelves in New York. Those that prey on our communities, hurt their health, and violate our laws will be met with the full force of my office,” the Attorney added.
The international corporation with its headquarters in New Brunswick, New Jersey, has agreed to permanently stop producing, promoting, and selling any body products that contain talcum powder.
J&J did not acknowledge any wrongdoing and has insisted that its products do not cause cancer. The company took its talc-based powders off of North American shelves in 2020 and stopped selling them internationally last year.
Tens of thousands of lawsuits brought by customers claiming that its goods caused their cancer are not resolved by the settlement. The company announced last month that it would proceed with a $6.475 billion settlement to settle 99.75 percent of the US cases that are still pending.
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