A controversial drug program started on the streets of Nanaimo earlier this year has been suspended, the Vancouver Island Health Authority says.

Under the program, the health authority handed out free crack cocaine pipe kits to local addicts as part of its harm reduction strategy.

However neither city council nor the public were told about the program and that was a mistake, Howard Waldner, the authority's chief executive officer, told CBC News on Wednesday.

"I think when this became known there was a groundswell of concern from the community and from the municipality," Waldner said.

"Our staff were, over the past couple of days, being harassed by local community groups and that's not acceptable."

James Younger, one of the vocal opponents of the  program, said he's pleased to see it has been killed.

"We're very happy that the powers that be did listen and came to the realization that they made a mistake or an error in judgment in not letting the community know what was happening," the Nanaimo resident said.