The biggest problem facing the city of Boston in the coming years is the increasing number of teenagers addicted to OxyContin and heroin, Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen O’Toole told a community meeting Wednesday in Brighton.

O’Toole spoke as part of her effort to foster community relations between neighborhoods and the Boston Police Department.

OxyContin and heroin abuse and how to get the drugs off the streets are serious problems in Boston, O’Toole said. The drugs are becoming easily accessible and are no longer restricted to hardcore drug users.

“It is truly an epidemic worse than I have seen in years,” she said. “It affects good kids in our communities that have made one poor choice. We need to eliminate its presence on our streets.”

O’Toole said the rise of OxyContin and heroin in the city influences not only individual users but also the communities where they reside. She said kids in search of money may commit other crimes to support their habits.

“This is a problem that affects everyone in all communities,” she said. “You will feel its effects when these children burglarize your homes and your cars in search of anything to buy the drugs.”

Much of the rise in this type of drug use can be attributed to its increased purity and decreased cost. O’Toole said that a single dose of heroin costs merely $4 and that it is so pure today that it no longer has to be injected intravenously but can be snorted like cocaine.

“The stigma of heroin is gone. Heroin users are no longer distinguished by the marks on their veins,” she said. “This has brought heroin to the masses.”

Boston is at the forefront of community policing efforts and serves as a model to many other communities throughout the country, O’Toole said. Such community efforts serve as the best instrument to defend against the spread of drug use.

“The Boston police force has an excellent relationship with its surrounding citizens,” she said. “We rely on you to help us curb this disturbing trend and we will work tirelessly to make an already strong relationship with the community better.”

O’Toole said that some of the most important members of the surrounding community are the colleges and universities. She said Boston University and Boston College are recognizable institutions that can use their resources to help the community.

“The schools in this area have been great,” she said. “We want to continue that relationship and allow it to grow.”

Ryan Whittaker, a 49-year-old Cleveland Circle resident, said he was encouraged by the police commissioner’s plans and hopes to see results in the near future.

“My children go to school in this area, and I am extremely concerned with this problem,” he said. “I’m pleased that the new commissioner is aware of the problem in our community and is prepared to address it.”

O’Toole said that with strong community-wide commitment, drug abuse should significantly decrease.

“We just need to be vigilant with our efforts and we can put a stop to this terrible trend.”