Youngest-Ever Nassau County Legislator Vows To Fight Opioid Crisis

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The youngest legislator ever in Nassau County has been sworn into office.

Joshua Lafazan was sworn in by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli during a ceremony Tuesday night at Jericho High School.

DiNapoli was the youngest elected school board member in the state before Lafazan was elected to the Syosset School Board in 2012 at age 18.

The now 23-year-old Woodbury resident said he is going to fight the opioid problem during his two-year term in the Nassau County Legislature.

"I think in Nassau County we need a 24-hour assessment center where anyone can come in at anytime for immediate intervention, screening and referral for treatment," the Harvard graduate said. "Likewise I think we need a 24-hour hotline like they do in Suffolk County."

Lafazan also said he wants sober dormitories at all colleges within Nassau County.

"We have to think about how do we stop recidivism and how do we ensure that kids aren't thrown back into the very same ecosystem which fermented their original problem in the first place," Lafazan said.

As for his young age, Lafazan said he has been treated with nothing but respect by staff and colleagues in the Legislature.