COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, alongside 42 other attorneys general, has reached a landmark $700 million settlement with Johnson & Johnson concerning allegations surrounding the marketing of the company’s talc-based baby powder and body powder products. Ohio is set to receive $27.7 million as part of this agreement.
“Transparency is non-negotiable when it comes to consumer safety,” stated Yost. “Selling harmful products without disclosing the risks is unacceptable, and our legal action ensures companies are held accountable.”
The settlement, endorsed by a judge from the Franklin County Common Pleas Court, addresses claims that Johnson & Johnson misled consumers regarding the safety of its talc powder products.
As a significant component of the settlement, Johnson & Johnson has committed to permanently cease the production, marketing, promotion, sale, or distribution of any talc-based baby and body powders in the United States, whether directly or through third parties.
This agreement brings an end to an investigation initiated by the states in 2019, probing whether Johnson & Johnson misrepresented the safety of their talc products, failed to disclose the presence of asbestos in the talc, and neglected to inform consumers about the potential cancer risks associated with asbestos in talc.
Despite having sold these products for over a century, Johnson & Johnson ceased distributing and selling them in the U.S. after states began their investigation, and has since halted global sales. While this lawsuit centered on deceptive marketing practices, other private lawsuits have alleged that talc can cause mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, and other serious health issues.
Texas, Florida, and North Carolina spearheaded the lawsuit, with Ohio, the District of Columbia, and numerous other states joining in. These states include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
