The Retired & Senior Program (RSVP) will sponsor Coffee & Donuts with the Cops sessions in seven West Central Missouri senior centers in October to emphasize the importance of safe handling and use of prescription medications.

The sessions will all take place at 9 a.m. in these Care Connection for Aging Services Senior Centers:

• Oct. 7 – McCarty Senior Center, 19482 Highway 54, Wheatland.

• Oct. 11 – Cole Camp Senior Center, 206 E. Junge, Cole Camp

• Oct. 14 – Rivers Crossing Life Center, 5215 Business Highway 13 NE

• Oct. 18 – El Dorado Springs Senior Center, 604 S. Forest, El Dorado Springs

• Oct. 21 – Warsaw Senior Center, Harbor Village, 17571 N. Dam Access Road, Warsaw

• Oct. 21 –  Warrensburg Senior Center, 445 E. Gay, Warrensburg

• Oct. 30 – Clinton Senior Center, 970 E. Sedalia, Clinton

Each session will feature free coffee, donuts, and information from local law enforcement officers about how to safely store and dispose of prescription medication. In addition, a representative of Compass Health Network will provide information about prescription opioid medication misuse and abuse.

Prescription medication misuse and abuse are growing public health problems among older adults, according to the U.S. Administration for Community Living, and the concern increasing as some 10,000 Americans turn 65 years old every day.

The sessions are sponsored by RSVP, a network of volunteers who are 55 and older. Care Connection leads the RSVP projects in Benton, Cedar, Henry, Hickory, Johnson and St. Clair counties. Care Connection is an area agency on aging with a mission to provide opportunities for positive aging experiences. For more information, call 1-800-748-7826 or visit www.goaging.