Montpelier, Vt. — A YEAR and a half ago, I stood up before Vermonters and devoted my State of the State address to speaking about the opiate and heroin crisis affecting my state. Despite our best efforts since, this is not a battle we are winning. Now the Food and Drug Administration is recklessly making the problem worse with its decision to approve OxyContin for use by children as young as 11 years old.

I was horrified when I learned of the F.D.A.’s decision last month. In the past 18 months, my state has invested millions of dollars in battling the threat that opiate abuse poses to families and our communities. We united behind the view that addiction is primarily a health care issue and that users need treatment, not prison cells. But Vermont continues to face the enormous personal and economic toll of drug abuse, just as the rest of the country does.

Our doctors and hospitals are examining their prescription practices to limit opiate distribution. Law enforcement and the families of addicts are carrying Narcan, which can reverse the effects of a heroin or opioid painkiller overdose. Recovering addicts are visiting schools to tell their stories to young Vermonters before they choose to use. Our treatment programs are expanding, and our acceptance and support of our addicted friends, co-workers, neighbors and family members is growing. Virtually everyone is committed to doing their part to end the vicious cycle created by drug addiction.

Now is the time for the F.D.A. to be a partner in reducing — not expanding — the availability of these drugs. Instead, it is doing the exact opposite. While it is true that there are a small number of very ill children who may benefit from the extended-release nature of OxyContin, which allows for longer intervals between doses, the risks of approving this medication for kids are great.