"Soldiers' disease" was far from "massive" - and its inception during wartime gives no reason whatsoever to suppose it would propagate during peacetime.
but by the time it was getting bad, the Federal authorities stepped in and stopped it.
Actions against drugs didn't start until decades after the war ended.
So far the lessons of history are against you.
Drugs propagate with a logistical growth curve. The only reason it didn’t happen here is because our government stopped it before it got too far.