(a) Possession of a hypodermic is authorized for:
(1) Any manufacturer or distributor of, or dealer in, hypodermics or medication packaged in hypodermics, and any authorized agent or employee of such manufacturer, distributor or dealer, in the regular course of business;
(2) Any terminal distributor of dangerous drugs, in the regular course of business;
(3) Any person authorized to administer injections, in the regular course of the person’s profession or employment;
(4) Any person, when the hypodermic in his or her possession was lawfully obtained and is kept and used for the purpose of self-administration of insulin or other drug prescribed by a licensed health professional authorized to prescribe drugs for the treatment of disease;
(5) Any person whose use of a hypodermic is for legal research, clinical, educational or medicinal purposes;
(6) Any farmer, for the lawful administration of a drug to an animal;
(7) Any person whose use of a hypodermic is for lawful professional, mechanical, trade or craft purposes.
(b) No manufacturer or distributor of, or dealer in, hypodermics or medication packaged in hypodermics, or their authorized agents or employees, and no terminal distributor of dangerous drugs shall display any hypodermic for sale. No person authorized to possess a hypodermic pursuant to division (a) hereof shall negligently fail to take reasonable precautions to prevent any hypodermic in his or her possession from theft or acquisition by any unauthorized person.
(c) Whoever violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. If the offender has previously been convicted of a violation of this section, RC 3719.05, 3719.06, 3719.13, 3719.172(B), or 3719.31 or a drug abuse offense, a violation is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
(RC 3719.99(D); Ord. No. 834-03. Passed 6-10-03, eff. 6-12-03)