True. Of course, those were years before the tort lawyers began to thrive and multiply.
We used to have over 50 companies that made vaccines. Today, we only have two companies that make vaccines, and those vaccines are generally only produced under a grant of limited liability immunity from the US government. Why? Because the one or two dozen people that die from unintended vaccine reactions make it unprofitable for the producers/distributors because of the increase in liability insurance. No such immunity is going to be granted to the purveyors of drugs like heroin. Thus, there's not a legitimate business in the country that is going to assume that risk - not when the risk of death from heroin is EXPONENTIALLY greater than the risk from even the most controversial vaccine or other medication.
Legalizing heroin will do nothing to counter the black-market importation and distribution of heroin. The drug cartels will continue to smuggle large quantities of heroin into the country, and street corner dealers will thrive. Not a single tax would be collected from the sale of heroin, and to suggest otherwise is pure folly.
So we pass tort reform first, problem solved.