Johnson & Johnson will stop selling talcum-based baby powder in U.S., Canada

Johnson & Johnson baby powder.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Facing thousands of lawsuits over its talcum-based baby powder, Johnson & Johnson announced on Tuesday it will no longer sell the product in the United States and Canada.

The company said demand for its talc-based baby powder has been declining in North America "due in large part to changes in consumer habits." Johnson & Johnson also blamed "misinformation around the safety of the product and a constant barrage of litigation advertising" for its demise.

As of March, more than 19,000 lawsuits have been filed against Johnson & Johnson, with plaintiffs alleging that the talc-based baby powder caused ovarian cancer and mesothelioma, The Wall Street Journal reports. The company has won some of those lawsuits, but lost others, with a jury in 2018 awarding 22 plaintiffs $4.69 billion.

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Johnson & Johnson said it will continue to sell its cornstarch-based baby powder in the United States and Canada, and the talc version will still be available for purchase in other countries.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.