NPP (N-phenethyl-4-piperidone), a precursor chemical used to make the opioid painkiller fentanyl, will be regulated by the U.S. government, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) announced.

The Detroit Free Press reported May 8 that the ONDCP said that the government will control the manufacturing, import, export, and distribution of NPP. "If we can control the precursor, hopefully we can reduce the illicit manufacture of fentanyl," said ONDCP's Scott Burns.

Heroin cut with fentanyl was blamed for the overdose deaths of hundreds of drug users in Detroit and elsewhere in 2005. NPP has been found in raids of U.S.-based fentanyl labs; however, experts also said that Mexico was the likely source of the fentanyl related to the 2005 overdoses.