A former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, Brian Shanahan studied at the DEA Academy in 1998 and began working as a case agent after his graduation. After several years working in the US and overseas, Brian Shanahan received a promotion to supervisory special agent and remained in this role until his retirement in 2018.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is a division of the United States Department of Justice that enforces the nation’s controlled-substance laws and regulations. The DEA works closely with state and local law enforcement, as well as foreign governments and agencies, in order to uphold drug laws, assist with investigations, and develop programs to reduce the availability of illegal substances.
This year, the DEA and Center for Disease Control reported a 5 percent reduction in overdose deaths for the first time in three decades, which marks the first break in a steady increase since 1990. According to statistics, the decline is likely attributed to a drop in deaths by pharmaceutical opioid painkillers. Law enforcement professionals hope that more access to treatment and the overdose-reversing drug naloxone combined with increased awareness and tighter prescription-drug regulations will help continue this downward trend.
