Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, alongside 42 other state attorneys general, announced earlier this week a $700 million nationwide settlement with Johnson & Johnson (J&J) over deceptive marketing related to the company’s talc-based baby powder and body powder products. Johnson & Johnson has marketed these products for over a century. While the current lawsuit focuses on deceptive marketing practices, numerous other lawsuits have alleged that talc can cause serious health issues, including mesothelioma and ovarian cancer. Bird says, “It is important that Iowans know the truth about the products they are using, especially when it concerns the health of their babies. This settlement holds Johnson & Johnson accountable for deceptive marketing and keeps dangerous, talc-based baby powder products off the shelves.” Under the settlement, J&J must halt manufacturing, marketing, distributing, and selling all talc-containing baby and body powder products, including Johnson’s Baby Powder and Shower to Shower. Iowa will receive $9,455,006.54 from the settlement. The agreement was led by Texas, Florida, and North Carolina and included participation from states across the country.
