Television commercials for prescription drugs may have dropped to an all new low.

While they may have more humor than in years past, they at the same time have not enough and too much information.

Recently, many of the pharmaceutical manufacturers don’t even tell viewers what ailments their product claims to treat, but encourages viewers to “ask their doctor” if the drug can help them.

And while several of the manufacturers don’t describe the ailments, they do discuss, in great detail, the side effects of their drugs, many of which sound much worse that the ailment itself.

Certainly, some of the manufacturers are trying to cash in on humor. Some of the advertisements may make some of us smile, but imagine young children running around the dinner table exuberantly singing “Viva, Viagra” to the tune of a song Elvis Presley made famous, “Viva Las Vegas.”

That may be funny to some people, but probably not too funny to their parents who must explain to their children that they probably shouldn’t sing this song in public. And how does one explain why this song may not be appropriate for the entire kindergarten class to sing?

Clearly, we’re not advocating censorship. If there’s something on television that parents don’t  believe their children should watch, they should simply turn off the TV.

But a little sensitivity and a lot of good taste might be nice.

Some people may say that these advertisements have brought awareness to ailments that weren’t talked about much before. That may be true. And sometimes bringing things into the light of day is a good thing. Certainly women have endured for many years advertisements for a variety of feminine products while watching a movie with their children or sharing a sitcom with family.

A little more tact in television commercials for pharmaceuticals would go a long way.