'narcotics-control' is a compound of 'narcotics' and 'control'. 'narcotics' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'narkotikos', where 'narke' meant 'numbness'; 'control' originates from Old French 'contre-rolle' (from medieval Latin 'contrarotulare'), where 'contra-' meant 'against' and 'rotulus' meant 'roll' or 'list'.

'narcotics' passed from Greek 'narkotikos' into Latin and later into modern European languages, reaching English as 'narcotic' in the 17th–18th centuries. 'control' entered English via Old French 'contre-rolle' in Middle English. The compound sense 'narcotics control' (or 'narcotics-control') developed in modern English (mainly 19th–20th century) as governments created laws and agencies to regulate drugs.

Initially, 'narcotics' referred to substances that produce numbness or stupor and 'control' meant checking or keeping a roll/list; over time the compound evolved to mean governmental regulation, enforcement measures, or agencies dealing with narcotic drugs.