Is there ever a reason for a parent to tell their child an outright lie?

Kids can ask the tough questions. I mean when your 14 year-old asks if you ever smoked pot do you skirt the issue or come right and say you didn’t? Or that you did? When they ask if a certain situation broke up the marriage do you tell them honestly or fudge the truth? What if they ask about your driving record and you have twelve tickets? Are you always honest with your children about your life experiences? Do children need to be lied to sometimes?

I’m not talking about fantasies such as the Tooth Fairy or Santa Claus, nor am I talking about religion. The lies of which am speaking pertain to a parent’s life choices that might impact a child’s life decisions.