There is no society on Earth that does not in some way celebrate, depend on, profit from, enjoy and also suffer from the use of psychoactive substances. Most developed and developing societies have well established relationships with and legally sanction the use of older psychoactive substances such as ethanol and nicotine… The last 100 years has also seen an upsurge in the cultivation, manufacture and trade of other psychoactive substances, some quite ancient and others new… For almost all areas of human activity, there are psychoactive substances that are used with the intention of facilitating that activity in some way: religious ceremonies, physical exercise, battle, eating, sex, study, work, dancing, public performances and socializing make up a list indicative of the range… The difference between the enhancement of human performance in some sphere as opposed to its impairment is … a function of the dose taken, the manner of its administration and the setting in which use occurs.(Stockwell, Gruenewald, Toumbourou & Loxley, 2005, p.4).

CARBC’s mandate involves the study of psychoactive substance use, with particular attention to the exploration of ways to minimize negative impacts on individuals and society. Substance use, like other human behaviours, is influenced by multiple factors: personal, social and environmental. Effectively addressing the negative impacts requires understanding the various factors that influence substance use and that contribute to the differential impact of that use (positive or negative). These "determinants of health" extend far beyond individual lifestyle choices or health actions to encompass social, economic and political contexts that shape health capacities and health opportunities. This necessarily involves the study of social and health inequities and their root causes as they relate to substance use, and the development of authentic community partnerships to help reduce harm and promote health.

Substance use is related to health and social problems that result in considerable economic cost to the people of British Columbia. While the bulk of this burden is contributed by legally available psychoactive drugs, a growing amount of preventable health and social problems are contributed by the use of illegal drugs and also the combined use of both legal and illegal drugs. By investigating the distal, proximate and individual determinants of substance use, evaluating interventions, developing and promoting effective responses and monitoring trends, CARBC contributes to addressing these substantial problems and reducing the burden in terms of health, social and economic consequences.

Solutions and strategies for dealing with the problems of substance use are often controversial and can be the topic of heated public debate. In relation to pharmaceutical drugs, gambling, alcohol and tobacco, there are powerful commercial vested interests whose primary allegiance is to their shareholders, albeit within a regulatory framework. In relation to illicit drugs, harm reduction interventions and even the location of treatment services can be strongly opposed. In both instances, there is a strong case for 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.

An endowment of $10.55 million to UVic from the BC Addiction Foundation in mid-2005 created the basis for such an independent centre. The proposal from UVic was supported with an agreement from the three other major research universities in BC for the formation of a collaborative network of addictions researchers across the four campuses. The University of Victoria also committed a total of seven faculty appointments to contribute to the Centre by 2008. In early 2004, funding from the BC Ministry of Health, the Provincial Health Services Authority, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, and Health Canada also enabled the creation of a Knowledge Exchange Unit under the auspices of CARBC. The University of Victoria had a strong tradition of psychosocial and community-based research in areas such as health promotion, youth, ageing and Indigenous health, and thus provided an ideal administrative base for such a new Centre to develop.

... is to be an internationally recognized centre dedicated to the study of psychoactive substance use and addiction in order to support community-wide efforts to promote health and reduce harm.

BUILD CAPACITY:
To build infrastructure and capacity across BC to conduct research and knowledge exchange that will increase understanding and support more effective responses to substance use.

ENGAGE ACADEMIC EXPERTISE:
To capitalize on the resources of BC universities through the recruitment of high-calibre graduate and postdoctoral students from multiple relevant disciplines to the study of substance use, addiction and harm reduction.

IMPLEMENTATION OF QUALITY RESEARCH:
To conduct high quality research that increases understanding of substance use, addiction and related harms in order to inform effective responses and promote health.

DISSEMINATION:
To disseminate knowledge that increases understanding of substance use and addiction, raises awareness of related harms and identifies effective responses.

KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION:
To contribute to constructive communication and cooperation between producers, intermediaries and users of various types of knowledge for the implementation of evidence-based policy and practice.