"No society on Earth does not in some way celebrate, depend on, profit from, enjoy and also suffer from the use of psychoactive substances" (Preventing Harmful Substance Use, 2005). The problematic use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs leads to substantial health and social problems and has a high cost for residents of British Columbia.   

In response to a commissioned report in 2001, the Provincial Government provided $10 million to create the BC Addiction Foundation. Its mandate was to affect public policy by fostering research that advances the prevention of addictions and improves the care of addicted individuals in British Columbia. To achieve this objective, the Foundation set out to create an independent centre to provide expert commentary on the extent and nature of problems, identify evidence based solutions and monitor and evaluate harm reduction strategies so as to better inform the community and all involved in policy, prevention and treatment systems. Acknowledging the interdisciplinary research strengths housed at University of Victoria, as well as the university's strong tradition of community partnerships, the Foundation entered into an agreement with the University of Victoria, and the Centre was created in 2003 and received formal approval from the Board of Governors of the University of Victoria in 2005.

The Centre for Addictions Research of BC is a provincial research network hosted and led by the University of Victoria in collaboration with Simon Fraser University, Thompson Rivers University, the University of British Columbia and the University of Northern British Columbia. The Centre maintains various agreements with other collaborating centres and researchers both locally and internationally. While maintaining an arms length relationship with government, the Centre works closely with multiple government departments, including health, child and family services, justice, education, public safety and liquor licensing to ensure the best available evidence is considered in policy-making processes. The Centre also collaborates with service providers and other stakeholders to support effective system planning and service delivery.

In 2004, Dr. Tim Stockwell was recruited as the first permanent Director of the Centre. He has, in turn, recruited a team with diverse skills in research and knowledge exchange to create the Centre's current capacity. Through the commitment of its team, the Centre has been able, in its relatively short history, to produce a wide range of reports, support numerous consultations and processes and attract considerable research funding.