South Raleigh News

Attorney General Josh Stein led a bipartisan coalition of 43 attorneys general in reaching a $700 million nationwide settlement with Johnson & Johnson to resolve allegations of deceptive marketing regarding the safety and purity of its talc-containing baby and body powder products. The settlement, pending judicial approval, requires Johnson & Johnson to cease manufacturing and selling these products in the United States. North Carolina will receive $27 million from this agreement, which Attorney General Stein recommends using for women’s cancer research.

“Companies cannot deceive people about the safety of the products they are selling,” said Attorney General Josh Stein. “People need to have accurate information so they can buy the right products for their health. I’m pleased that Johnson & Johnson will not be selling these questionable products anymore, and I urge the General Assembly to use these funds to help protect women’s health.”

Medical research has linked talc powder use to ovarian cancer. In North Carolina, ovarian cancer is the eighth-leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women. Approximately half of those diagnosed survive, with over 400 projected fatalities in 2024. Disparities exist in treatment access and mortality rates for women of color. Attorney General Stein is requesting that the General Assembly allocate these funds to NCDHHS for its Ovarian Cancer Strategic Response Initiative, focusing on prevention, screening, surveillance, and early diagnosis in underserved and rural areas.

Johnson & Johnson sold talc-containing products for over a century but ceased sales following the attorneys general's investigation. While the lawsuit addressed deceptive marketing practices, numerous private class action lawsuits have alleged serious health issues caused by talc, including mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.

Under the proposed agreement, Johnson & Johnson will permanently halt all manufacturing, marketing, promotion, sale, and distribution of baby and body powder products containing talcum powder in the United States.

The settlement was led by Attorneys General from North Carolina, Florida, and Texas, along with counterparts from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia (D.C.), Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New York North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Rhode Island South Dakota Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin.

A copy of the complaint is available here.

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