The state of Illinois will receive about $29 million from a nationwide settlement announced in a lawsuit over potentially cancer-causing baby powder.
Forty-three states had sued Johnson & Johnson over allegations the company deceptively promoted and misled consumers in advertisements related to the safety and purity of some talcum powder products.
“Consumers rely on accurate information when making decisions about which products to purchase for their families,” said Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul. “Any company, no matter how large, must be held accountable when laws protecting consumers are broken and their trust is violated.”
Johnson & Johnson stopped selling baby powder and body powder products that contained talc in the U.S. shortly after the states began investigating. Those products include Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower in the U.S. The company also recently ended global sales of the products.
A judge must still approve the settlement.
There are numerous other pending lawsuits filed by private plaintiffs in class action lawsuits that raise allegations that talc causes serious health issues, including mesothelioma and ovarian cancer.
