SPRINGFIELD — The City Council will fight to strengthen a law boosting penalties for drug dealing near parks and schools, in the hopes of fighting an epidemic of used needles and fentanyl bags discarded in playgrounds.

City Councilors Lavar Click-Bruce and Brian Santaniello joined together to try to find ways to deal with the scourge of drug paraphernalia in the parks, due to concerns children will get hurt even though the Parks Department is sending people daily to some problem places to pick up needles and discarded drug containers.

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