Talc

Talcum powder has been a favorite consumer product for years. However, talc is a mineral similar to asbestos which poses a health hazard. The soft gentle, powdery substance has been linked to Cancer. Talcum powder and similar products are harmful to infants with respiratory issues and can also be harmful to adults. As more claims arise, talcum powder has been linked to ovarian cancer in women who use it regularly. On May 4, 2017, a jury awarded a Virginia woman over $110 million in damages for this. Earlier in 2016, a U.S. court awarded $72 million in damages to a woman who developed epithelial ovarian cancer attributable to the use of Johnson & Johnson’s talcum powder. This was followed by a $55 million verdict. The producers of talcum products, the trade association, and the miners of talc have suppressed information that they have known for decades about the potential cancer-causing danger of the substance. Now there are many lawsuits in the United States and a class action in Canada. On October 27, 2016, a St. Louis jury awarded $70 million to a victim with the responsible defendants for the first time including the trade association. Talcum powder has similar qualities to asbestos, a proven carcinogen for those who inhale the microscopic fibers. Furthermore, talc is often mined in the same places as asbestos. In fact, some talcum powders contained asbestos until the 1970s. In the US there have been successful claims made by people who had asbestos-related cancer from using talcum products with asbestos in them. Manufacturers have since unsuccessfully and secretly attempted to purify talc and remove the asbestos before the product reaches buyers. Since 1971, more than 20 studies have linked talcum powder to ovarian cancer. In 2003, an analysis of 16 of these studies found that women using talcum powder were 33% more likely to develop ovarian cancer.