Katrina Pruett Biller/Coder at First Call Wins Award for Her Miniature Meth House
“The miniature meth house I built makes some people uncomfortable, because they are used to seeing fantasy dream homes,” says Katrina Pruett, second-place winner in the Creatin’ Contest, a national miniatures competition.
Katrina, the biller/coder at First Call Home Health, built the meth house to increase awareness of the issues and dangers associated with meth production. It took her nine months to build the house in her spare time.
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| The house is almost 22 inches high, built on a base that is 2 feet by 3 feet in size. The scale is 1 inch to 1 foot, which has been the most common scale. The next most common scale is 1/4 inch to 1 foot, because it does not take up as much space. | |
Not your imaginary beach home
The competition required that everyone start out with a basic structure, but the contestants could make modifications and build whatever kind of house they wanted. Katrina was intrigued by online photos of old rental houses that meth cooks had trashed. “I thought a meth house would be more worthwhile than building my imaginary vacation home at the beach,” Katrina stated.
“Most people doing the hobby fantasize about their dream house. The last thing I need is another pretty miniature house catching dust.” In her mind, Katrina pictured a 70’s house that renters had turned into a meth house. She wanted to build a miniature that would be usable to tell a message of the dangers of meth.
A message at miniature shows
Katrina plans to take her meth house to several major miniature shows this year and hopes to find a school or library that will display it. At the shows, Katrina will give out a brochure that describes:
- the dangers of the materials used in making meth
- how to know if you have a meth house in your neighborhood
- what it is like for people who live in a meth house
“If you are looking to rent or buy a place, be aware that there are real toxic issues with the products that are left behind by meth producers,” Katrina warns.
She knows that awareness will not solve the meth epidemic, but believes awareness will help keep some people from being hurt by meth.
“If you are out hiking and come across a clearing that has certain kinds of containers, you are probably looking at meth production,” Katrina advises. “Get out of there immediately, because of the unsafe chemicals and the dangerous meth cooks who are probably nearby.”
We are impacted by meth
Katrina says that sadly, we are all impacted by meth, whether:
- you can no longer get your allergy medicine over-the-counter
- you have to pay taxes for police services and rehab or incarceration for addicts
- you have friends or family whose lives were ruined by meth
More than a hobby
Building miniatures is a standalone hobby for Katrina. She says she was not thinking about work when she built her meth house creation. She did, however, hope that her meth house would convey a message beyond the enjoyment she gets from her hobby.
As a kid, Katrina made miniature houses out of cereal boxes and cardboard. She made her real first miniature about 10 years ago when she bought a kit. Since then she has made four other miniatures, some of which are not totally complete, since there is always more that can be added to them. “In some ways they are never finished.”
Since the economic downturn caused all miniature retail shops in Oregon close, Katrina either orders online or goes to miniature shows for supplies. “Some things you make yourself. How many things you make depends on the use, your budget and your skills.”
Research on meth
Part of Katrina’s process was researching typical meth houses. She says police agencies usually have a department dedicated to drug prevention, so they have a lot of information to share. The real estate market is becoming increasingly alert to the meth problem, because of issues with the toxic waste that go along with meth houses. Hazmat cleanup companies are also well aware of issues surrounding meth houses.
More information
Katrina suggests that a good source for information is the Multnomah County Sheriff’s office, because they have done a lot of work on meth use. They have taken mug shots over time of people arrested for meth (“From Drugs to Mugs”). Local law enforcement is a good place to start for more information on meth and other drug use. The internet is a good source for information about the negative effects of drug use. The following links provide good information:
