Also what a terrible waste of helium. Because of helium being widely frivolously wasted in balloons, scientists cant afford to use it legitimately for science!!
Helium didn't become scarce & expensive until the later 90s when MRIs became commonplace and the LHC was starting up. Even science labs that used helium would just vent it to the atmosphere instead of recycling it. Nowadays it's a financial necessity to reclaim as much as you can.