In recent news, the well known baby product company, Johnson & Johnson, has been getting hit with multiple lawsuits for its baby powder products. Officials are saying that the company’s talcum powder products cause cancer, but this is not the first time the company got hit with these lawsuits.

Back in 2002, the Johnson & Johnson company ran tests to see if there were substances in their raw talc and finished baby powders that cause cancers. From 1971 to the early 2000s, officials are stating that these products tested positive for small amounts of asbestos, a human carcinogen that can cause cancer. The executive of the Johnson & Johnson knew there were cancerous substances in their products and failed to disclose that to the public.

Large amounts of asbestos can also cause asbestosis, which is a serious respiratory disease caused by inhaled asbestos fibers that aggravate lung tissues, which cause them to scar.  

Since this allegation, the company’s stock  has gone down by 10%,, thus wiping out close to $40 billion of its market value. The Johnson & Johnson company released a statement regarding these allegations: “The article ignores that thousands of tests by J&J, regulators, leading independent labs, and academic institutions have repeatedly shown that our talc does not contain asbestos.”

This is not the first time big companies have hidden the truth about what is in their products. As consumers it is essential to know what we are putting on our skin and in our bodies. I asked a student what she thinks about big companies hiding the truth about what is in their products. One student, Leah Malan ‘19 stated, “It is quite disrespectful! Especially because this company [Johnson & Johnson] is such a well known, top brand for baby products. These are people’s children. Big companies need to  think not only about their wallets but also about the health of their consumers. And as consumers, we need to start paying attention to what these big companies are trying to sell us.” Johnson & Johnson also stated that, “The article ignores that J&J has cooperated fully and openly with the U.S. FDA and other global regulators, providing them with all the information they requested over decades.”

With a situation like this, it is difficult to choose who to believe, but it is best to consider the facts. Here is a link of a list of talc-free baby powder: Talc-free baby powder